L
by Topcard
Summary: He took everything from me. My life, my dreams, Daisy... But he's not done. He's only getting started. A continuation of "The Tragedy of Waluigi and Rosalina."
1. Chapter 1

**The following takes place after the events of "The Tragedy of Waluigi and Rosalina," another story by the same author. If you have not read that, you probably should, otherwise a lot of things in this story won't make sense.**

It was a beautiful day. Shocking, really, considering the events that transpired a few days ago. The Mushroom Kingdom just barely avoided destruction at the hands of a giant demonic creature. Peace reigned over the kingdom once again. All was calm. But this was just the calm before the storm.

In the Royal Garden of Toadstool Castle, a particular green plumber was having a conversation with the princess of Sarasaland. For years, this man had a crush on the royal woman, but was far too shy to do anything about it. Just recently he was her escort to the Royal Ball. It was the moment he was waiting years for, but it didn't go exactly as planned. The man's shyness made it impossible for him to be of much company to the princess, and the two spent most of the evening sitting quietly at their table.

Now the man was about to hear the worst news of his life. Princess Daisy scratched her head, trying to find the right words. This was a very delicate situation, and it needed to be handled carefully. Finally, she spoke. "Luigi, I had fun at the ball with you… But I think we should just be friends. Is that alright?"

Luigi's heart dropped at the statement. He thought long and hard on how he should respond. He finally nodded in agreement. Daisy hugged him as a sign of appreciation. Luigi wanted to crawl under a rock and spend the rest of his life there.

When the princess let go of him, she noticed a tall figure exiting the garden. "Oh, Princess Rosalina is leaving! C'mon, we gotta say goodbye!" Daisy urged before rushing back into the palace to get everyone else. Luigi sighed heavily as he rose. It wasn't meant to be. As he started to leave, the plumber felt something strange. It was as if someone was watching him. He froze for a moment, but shook off the feeling and made his way back into the palace.

Soon the whole gang was in front of the castle, waving goodbye as the Observatory hovered far above them. When it was finally out of view, the group dispersed. Luigi headed inside the castle, said goodbye to his friends, and went home for the evening. He wasn't in much of a mood for anything else this day.

The skies started to darken as night fell. Luigi started whistling to steady his nerves. He wasn't afraid of the dark, but rather of what was _in _the dark. The plumber quickened his pace, his heart thrashing in his chest.

"Luigi."

What was that? Someone had whispered his name. Luigi's eyes darted in every direction. He called out, asking if anyone was there. No response. Even more frightened, the man took extra caution with every step. His home wasn't too far from here. He'd be there in no time.

"Luigi!"

Now the man was running as fast as he could, fearing for his life. He darted past Wario's woods, through Toad Town, and finally to his mansion. It was a good thing there were no more ghosts, otherwise Luigi would have died of a heart attack.

The man pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. It creaked open slowly, not helping Luigi's paranoia. He entered quickly and turned on the lights. Though a mansion, Luigi's home was rather humble and had no outstanding features. It was just a normal house, but with many rooms. The green-clad man sighed in relief as he closed the door behind him.

"Hello, Luigi."

The plumber turned around quickly. A dark figure was standing right in front of him in his living room. Luigi tried running out of the house, but the stranger pointed his hand at the door and cast some sort of spell that kept the door locked. Luigi pressed his body close against the wall., panting heavily. "What's the matter, old friend?" the figure asked; "Do I frighten you? Don't tell me that you don't remember my face."

The stranger stepped out of the shadows. His clothes were quite peculiar, following the color scheme of purple, yellow, and black. On his head was an odd jester's hat of a similar pattern. But what stood out the most was his mask. A mask, half white and half black, with an ominous smile. The figure stared at Luigi with that horrifying grin.

"I'm just here for a little… business."


	2. Chapter 2

Dimentio studied his captive from head to toe. Nothing had changed; all was the same. Good. That just made things easier.

"It has been far too long, old friend," the demonic jester started. "How long have I been gone, anyways? Oh, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm back, and I've got big things planned for this world."

Luigi remained quiet, fear silencing him. Dimentio's smile grew wider. "You're probably wondering how I am here when you and your friends killed me, right?" he asked. Luigi nodded, prompting his captor to chuckle. "It's simple, really. You heroes never really killed me. Once I had been defeated, I knew there was no chance of completing the plan, so I merely faked my own death. You knew I could do that. I'm rather offended that this shocks you."

The green-clad plumber panted, trying to think of a way out of this situation. Having no other alternative, he fired a green fireball at Dimentio. This proved useless, as the villain simply caught the projectile and crushed it in his fist. "Now, now, Luigi. You mustn't do silly things like that. You wouldn't want me mad, would you?"

Luigi swallowed hard, realizing that there was no way out. Workinig up some nerve, he managed to ask Dimentio how he managed to find him. The captor grinned wider. "I knew you lived in the Mushroom Kingdom, I just didn't know where. I went straight to the palace. There, a rather tall woman told me you were in the garden. I found you and merely followed you home. A smart plan, if I do say so myself."

Dimentio floated backwards slightly, putting a bit of distance between him and Luigi. "I wish we had more time to chat, but there's work to be done. And I need your services," he said. He then pulled a small, golden object out of his sleeve. It was a pocket watch, but none like you've ever seen. This particular pocket watch had power beyond your imagination. Pray you never encounter it in your life.

Luigi didn't know of the watch's power, but knew it couldn't be good. Like a flash he took off running to the next room. "A game of tag? Oh, how fun. I'm it," Dimentio said before giving chase. The jester dashed through each room with incredible speed. All kinds of furniture were thrown around in the wake. The villain searched carefully, but could not find Luigi. "Where are you?" he called out eerily. When he finished his search of the first floor, the foe thought it wise to check upstairs.

Dimentio floated up the stairs and telepathically opened the door in front of him. It led to a bedroom. Luigi's, to be precise. Everything seemed in order, except a window was wide open, letting the wind blow through. Dimentio chuckled as he peered out. It was dark, but he managed to see Luigi running off in the distance. "Oh, such a naughty boy," Dimentio said to himself before pointing his hand in the plumber's direction. In an instant, a beam of light targeted Luigi and struck him in the back. His entire body disappeared into thin air, only to reappear at Dimentio's feet.

"I win," the villain cheered. He then grabbed Luigi by the throat and lifted him off the ground. "And here's my prize," Dimentio hissed with that awful grin. Luigi shut his eyes in fear. He expected the monster to kill him. Instead, the jester threw Luigi onto a nearby chair and tied him up with an enchanted rope. There was no way the plumber could escape.

Dimentio once again pulled out the pocket watch, confident in its abilities. "Look carefully, Luigi," he instructed. Luigi tried to keep his eyes closed, but the jester grabbed him and forced them open. The pocket watch moved back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Luigi struggled for freedom, but was soon entranced by the golden object. It was so pretty…

Soon the plumber's body softened itself. Luigi was no longer fighting back. He focused on the watch, never taking it out of his sight. Dimentio laughed horribly. "Now, return to me," he ordered. Luigi began shaking violently. Something was wrong. Something bad was happening. And he couldn't do anything to stop it. Everything was going black.

Dimentio stared intently at the man. Did the watch work? There was no possible way it could have failed…

All of a sudden, the man in green broke free of the magic rope as if it were simply old thread. He stood up and stared at his attacker. The plumber seemed different somehow. His eyes, once a calming blue, his eyes were now a haunting grey.

Dimentio smiled with utter satisfaction. "Welcome back, Mr. L."


	3. Chapter 3

Mr. L looked around in sheer confusion. Could it be that he was back from the dead? It wasn't possible, and yet there he was, standing face-to-face with Dimentio. Dimentio? Wait a minute…

The jester opened his mouth to say something, but was instead rammed into the wall with great force. For a powerful magician, he did not see that coming. Mr. L held the villain in place, staring at him with pure hatred. "Dimentio," was all he said.

"My, my, my. Don't tell me you're still mad, Mr. L?" the victim managed to say.

"You tried to kill me!"

"Correction: I DID kill you. But I just brought you back to life. You're welcome."

Mr. L threw Dimentio to the floor. The jester coughed as he tried to catch his breath. This wasn't the confrontation he was expecting. "Now wait one minute, Mr. L. I brought you back for a reason. Your services are needed once again."

"Why should I help you?" the man formerly known as Luigi asked. Dimentio smiled at the question ominously. "Because," he started, "I can easily take back the life I just gave you."

Mr. L froze, his eyes now widened in shock. Dimentio rose off the ground and back into the air. "That's right, I can take it back with just a snap of my fingers. Your life is in my hands, and unless you want to die again, you'll do exactly as I say. Understood?"

Mr. L clenched his fists. He truly had no way out of this. He grunted before replying. "Fine," he said at last.

"Good," Dimentio returned; "Let's shake on it."

He extended his hand for the Green Thunder to shake. Skeptical, Mr. L hesitated at first. Dimentio took notice of this. "Oh, come now, my boy, I wouldn't hurt you. I need you, after all," he offered. Mr. L decided that this had to be true and reached for the jester's hand. The moment he did, however, thousands upon thousands of volts of electricity surged through his body. The man fell over in pain while Dimentio smiled playfully. "That was for shoving me into the wall," he remarked.

Mr. L picked himself off of the ground. "I suppose I deserved that," he said, brushing himself off. Dimentio grinned. He was about to say something when the two heard a knock at the door. "Luigi? Hey, Luigi! What's with the ruckus?" a voice from outside called. It was Toad. He obviously heard the encounter earlier. Dimentio was annoyed at the interruption. "Get rid of him," he ordered. Mr. L rolled his eyes before going downstairs.

Toad stood outside, waiting for the door to open. A moment ago he was sleeping peacefully in his house at Toad Town, but the noise from this mansion could be heard even from there. There was just no common courtesy! Soon the door creaked open and a figure poked his head out. "Luigi?" Toad asked.

"What do you want?" the figure returned.

"What's with all the noise? We can hear it from Toad Town!"

"Um, I was, um… doing some cleaning. Yeah, that's right."

"In the middle of the night?" Toad asked skeptically. Mr. L began to panic. "Well, I don't tell you how to live your life! Now get lost!" he barked. Toad's jaw dropped. What did Luigi just say? "Luigi, are you feeling alright?" he questioned.

"Huh? Oh, never better. Now go away; I'm tryin' to sleep! You know, you're bein' very rude right now."

And with that, Mr. L slammed the door shut. Toad was completely baffled, stuttering over his words for some time before walking away without another word.

Mr. L headed back upstairs and found Dimentio pulling a box out of his robe. "What's that?" the Green Thunder asked. The jester merely grinned as he handed the box to his worker. Mr. L took it greedily and peered inside. The moment he did, his eyes bulged with enthusiasm. Inside the box was Mr. L's old uniform, complete with his mask and iconic hat.

"Hurry up and put it on," Dimentio ordered. "We've got work to do."


	4. Chapter 4

Dimentio waited impatiently outside Luigi's bedroom as Mr. L changed into his uniform. Who would've guessed that a powerful mercenary would take such a long time with clothes.

When the door finally opened, the jester smiled. "Like a lion at an old folks' home, I have waited long enough. It's about time," he said. Mr. L stepped out, adorned in a black jumpsuit, grey gloves, a bandana, his mask, and many other features. The man couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction. Everything fit like a glove. Especially the gloves; they definitely fit like gloves.

"Now that you're done, let's get going," Dimentio said. Before Mr. L could say anything, the jester transported them into a space filled entirely of green. The shades of emerald stretched as far as the eye could see, mixed with suggestions of black. Mr. L looked around in confusion. "Where are we?" he asked.

"You like it? This is the dimension I've been hiding in all this time. It will serve nicely as our headquarters," the leader answered. Mr. L scratched his head. He never really understood the whole "other dimensions" thing, but he really didn't care enough to ask any more questions. Dimentio smiled wickedly. There was something quite devious on his mind.

"Now that you've agreed to assist in my project, we have no time to waste. Tonight, you are going to steal something for me," the villain explained.

"Is that all? You called on the great powers of the Green Thunder just for a simple robbery?" Mr. L scoffed. Dimentio chuckled at the comment. He put his arm around the former plumber. "Of course not, you fool. This is just your first mission. But like a bad case of hiccups, you should not underestimate it. You aren't stealing any simple thing like money or jewels," the jester said.

"Then what?"

"You'll be stealing something known as… the Crown Orb."

Mr. L raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "The Crown Orb? What the heck is that?"

"It is a sphere locked away at Toadstool Castle. The Crown Orb has the ability to grant wishes once every millennia. You could only imagine the things I could do with that kind of power."

"I'd rather not," the Green Thunder noted to himself. Dimentio then waved his hand, teleporting the two from the green dimension to the front yard of the palace. Mr. L looked around in surprise. He really hoped Dimentio would not make a habit of this teleporting business. It was really creepy!

"The orb is kept inside a big safe in the throne room," the jester explained.

"How would you know that?" Mr. L asked.

"…I've done my research. Now go!" was the reply. "Don't keep me waiting."

With that, Dimentio teleported elsewhere. Mr. L ran up to the side of the castle. How was he supposed to get inside? He walked along the side of a wall searching for an open window. No such luck. The Green Thunder was getting frustrated. How did Dimentio expect him to get the job done when he had no way in?!

Then it hit him. The rooftop. Guards had to be stationed up there, so that meant there had to be a door there. But how could he get on the roof? Mr. L looked around. A nearby tree seemed tall enough to reach the roof. Perfect. The Green Thunder began climbing, barely losing any energy. But that was just at first. After all, it was a really tall tree, so it would only seem natural that someone would get tired of climbing it. Mr. L was about halfway up when his stamina started going.

The crook started panting. He was really getting a workout tonight! Soon his muscles started burning. He couldn't keep this up. Mr. L grabbed a branch and tried to pull himself up. It was no use; he couldn't sustain his weight any longer. In an instant, the Green Thunder lost his grip and was plummeting to the ground. He screamed as gravity did its job. Mr. L shut his eyes tight and prepared himself for impact. At this point, you'd expect the proper noise for this situation would be _splat_!, correct? Well, you're WRONG, you fool! Just kidding, you're not a fool. You're a beautiful person and you can do anything your heart sets itself on. But this is getting off topic.

No, there was no splat. Instead, there was the traditional sound heard when one enters a warp pipe. That's right, Mr. L landed inside a pipe located directly below the tree. Convenient, isn't it? But this was no ordinary warp pipe. This was the kind that acted as a cannon. You know the kind. The pipe tilted its body slightly and was now pointing at a nearby window of the castle. Mr. L soon realized what kind of pipe this was and entered a frantic state of fear. "No, no, no!" he cried out before the pipe fired.

Mr. L was sent flying. The speed he attained would be impossible for the naked eye to behold. The robber braced himself as he crashed through the window and landed on the ground with a thud. He got a few cuts and a sore shoulder, but other than that he was fine. The man stood up and brushed himself off. He muttered to himself in an annoyed state before freezing in his tracks, staring in fear at something.

There, right in front of Mr. L, was Princess Daisy, staring back at him in shock.


	5. Chapter 5

The princess stood there in sheer shock. Still in her orange pajamas, Daisy had gotten up for a late night snack. Instead, she found a burglar breaking through the window! Believe it or not, this was not a regular occurrence at Toadstool Castle.

Mr. L stared back at the flower princess in part nervousness, part curiosity. My, what a pretty lady. The Green Thunder made a mental note to find her again another time. For right now, though, he had work to do.

The man moved slightly closer to the woman. She took a step back, not wanting a confrontation. Mr. L then rushed to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Let go of me!" she shouted, prompting the intruder the cover her mouth with his gloved hand. "Shh! Can't have you blowin' my cover now," he said in a forceful whisper; "Since I have you for the moment, why don't you tell me where the throne room is, huh?"

Daisy stared into the man's eyes. Why were they so grey? For a moment, it looked like she was also curious, but when Mr. L removed his hand to get an answer, the princess bit him. The robber howled in pain, grasping his hand. Daisy then kicked him in the… you get the point; please don't make me say it. Mr. L slumped over on the ground, his eyes starting to water. Daisy then ran off to alert the guards.

The Green Thunder slowly stood up. He groaned in pain and placed his hand on the wall to regain his balance. He was NOT expecting that. Strangely enough, his curiosity increased for this princess. He shook off the thought and continued on his search for the throne room. He ran down the hall in hopes of finding his destination by simple luck, though he knew that was not likely. He reached a humongous door made of what seemed to be a thick metal. He tried to open it. Locked. And everyone knows a locked door means something valuable lies inside.

Mr. L reached into his left pocket and pulled out a hair pin. Why he had a hair pin in the first place is beyond me. He started picking the lock. He tried to be careful in his job, but he didn't want to waste time. His work was interrupted when red lights started flashing and sirens went off. Darn! The dumb princess told the security. Now Mr. L really had to hurry. He picked the lock at blinding speed. Soon the door was open. The crook grinned ominously as he stepped inside.

The room was pitch black; not even moonlight shined through. Mr. L searched the wall for a light switch. He found it, and when the lights came on, the villain's eyes bulged in sheer awe. He was not in the throne room. Instead, he was in the royal treasury, surrounded by millions upon millions of gold coins. A tear came to Mr. L's eye.

"Check the royal treasury!" a voice called out from down the hall. Mr. L swore under his breath. Just his luck. He started to leave the room, but temptation was just too strong. The Green Thunder threw himself into the gold and started filling his pockets with the stuff. When they filled, he pulled a large bag out of his hat and started filling that up.

Once satisfied, the man turned to leave, but heard the guards getting closer and closer. There was no other way out; Mr. L was trapped. This didn't seem right. How could the great Mr. L be defeated so early in the game? He couldn't let that happen; he wouldn't!

The Green Thunder stomped out of the treasury, a new, more serious look on his face. Three guards finally arrived, batons at hand. "There he is, men! Get him!" one cried. The group charged at the intruder. Mr. L merely smirked as he put his bag on the ground. When one enemy got close enough, the villain kneed him in the gut, then threw him at a wall. The guard fell to the ground, unconscious. The other security members stopped in their tracks, obviously frightened. The attacker could see this and used it to his advantage. "Outta my way!" he roared. The guards did not move, but their batons shook in their hands.

Seeing as they weren't going to move by choice, Mr. L stepped closer and closer. One security man tried to hit him with the baton, but the Green Thunder easily dodged the attack and punched him in the stomach. The guard doubled over in pain, giving the robber the perfect opportunity to grab him and throw him at the last remaining opponent. Now having a clear path, Mr. L picked up his bag and dashed down the hall.

At the other end of the castle, Princess Peach and two guards rushed toward the throne room. Daisy had alerted her of the intruder. Knowing exactly what the man was looking for, the Mushroom Princess needed to make sure everything was safe. If the Crown Orb got into the wrong hands, horrible things could happen.

The Green Thunder could hear more guards coming after him. Although he was strong, he really didn't think he could take on so many enemies at once. To top it off, he was getting really tired from carrying a heavy bag. But he had no intentions of letting go. And, to be honest, would you?

Mr. L stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He sat on the ground and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he realized something terrible. The gold coins he had in his pockets had been falling out this entire time, leaving a trail for the guards to follow. Mr. L swore as he rose from the ground. Making a quick decision, he took all the remaining coins out of his pockets and left them there. You could only imagine how hard that was for him.

The intruder continued on his way without missing a beat. He needed to find that orb and fast. Soon he reached another giant door. Stepping inside the room, Mr. L noticed a woman and two guards inspecting a safe behind a large chair. Finally! Mr. L found the throne room.

"Pardon me," he said as coy as he could, "but I believe you got something there for me. Hand it over, and we won't have any trouble."

Peach turned around. She could only make out the silhouette of the robber. He was in the shadows, so the princess couldn't really see his face. "Guards, stop him!" she ordered. The two protectors charged after the intruder, but were knocked out in a matter of seconds. "That was fun, but I got work to do," Mr. L taunted as he approached the princess. Peach screamed at the top of her lungs. Mr. L covered his ears in pain. "Come on, lady! That was uncalled for!" he snapped.

"That came from the throne room. The princess is in trouble!" a voice said. Mr. L turned around and saw multiple guards entering the room. There was no way he could handle all of them. He clenched his teeth in anger. "Sorry, Dimentio, looks like tonight's not the night," he said under his breath. The security then charged. The Green Thunder jumped high into the air. He landed on two guards' heads and started running over the others. In no time flat the villain was out the door. Everyone ran after him.

Mr. L ran down another hall until he reached a window. Without hesitation, the man jumped out, shattering glass as he did. Everyone else finally caught up. Princess Peach looked out the window. Nothing. The intruder got away.

The princess sighed before telling the workers to carry on as usual. Everyone groaned, having wanted to catch this man, before leaving. Peach looked out the window one last time, shook her head, then went to bed, never noticing that Mr. L was under the window the entire time.

The man panted heavily. He was clearly not at his prime that night. His spirits were brought up, however, when he looked at all the gold he got away with. Chuckling to himself, Mr. L started off into the horizon.

As day turned into morning, Mr. L realized he had no idea where he was going. He needed a place to hide, and fast. Before he could even stop to formulate a plan, the man was instantly transported to the green dimension. Dimentio floated in front of Mr. L, staring at him with a blank face.

"Um, hi, Dimentio," Mr. L greeted awkwardly.

"You failed me," the jester said without emotion.

"Yeah… About that. See, they had a lot of security and-"

"Oh, Mr. L, you don't have to give me excuses. What do you have there?" Dimentio asked, pointing to the bag.

"Oh, I got a bundle! They don't call me the Green Thunder for nothing. We're rich! Here, take a look."

He handed the bag to Dimentio. The jester pulled a handful of coins out of it. He stared at it blankly, then smiled. "You foolish boy. You think I care about trivial things like money?" he said before melting the coins right before Mr. L's eyes.

"Hey! Are you crazy?!" the former plumber yelled. He reached for the bag, but his master smacked him to the ground. "You idiot. Failure is not an option in this mission, and you waste my time with this? You fool!" he yelled, smiling all the while.

Mr. L got back on his feet with unease. "I'll get it done," he said with a twinge of fear in his voice. Dimentio laughed. Before Mr. L could respond, the jester struck him over the head with the bag of gold with great force. The Green Thunder crashed to the ground, the impact adding more damage to his head. Dimentio continued laughing as he stared at his unconscious minion.

"Next time, my friend, I expect nothing less than perfection."


	6. Chapter 6

Luigi awoke bright and early the next day with a throbbing headache. Why did his head hurt so much? (And for you wise guys out there, no, it wasn't a hangover.)

The plumber got out of bed and went downstairs for breakfast. He then remembered Dimentio. The jester had attacked him the night before. Luigi felt incredibly unsafe. He had to make a complete inspection of the mansion to make sure the villain was long gone. This would take a while.

A few hours later, Luigi completed his search. There was no sign of Dimentio anywhere. In fact, everything was in order; all the rooms were clean and none of the furniture was destroyed. Luigi was confused. Could it have all been a dream?

After finishing breakfast, the plumber decided to pay a visit to Toadstool Castle. Princess Peach had made plans for everyone to play tennis at noon, and Luigi didn't want to be late. He packed all his tennis gear in his sports bag and hustled out of his home. He looked around at the world around him and smiled. This was going to be a good day.

Luigi walked to the palace in high spirits. For some reason he was just in a good mood that morning. He was stopped at the castle's gates by two guards, looking stricter than usual. "Sorry, no one gets in today. Orders from Princess Toadstool herself," one told Luigi. The plumber scratched his head. He asked why so. "There's been a robbery," the other guard explained. Luigi's muscles tensed upon hearing this. He frantically pleaded with the two men to let him in. They were hesitant at first, but seeing as Luigi was a close friend of the princess, they finally gave in.

Upon entering the castle, Luigi was greeted with all sorts of chaos. Guards were scrambling in every direction while Toadsworth hobbled around in a frenzy. "Oh, Master Luigi, thank goodness you're here," the old mushroom man greeted when he saw him. Luigi asked what had happened. Toadsworth did his best to explain, but the fact of the matter was that he didn't have all the facts. All he knew was that a man broke into the castle, stole a good portion of gold coins, and tried to steal the Crown Orb. "Luckily, he wasn't able to take off with that," Toadsworth finished. Luigi thought long and hard for a moment.

Before Luigi could come to a conclusion, Princess Peach appeared at the top of the stairway. "Have you found any clues?" she asked Toadsworth, who shook his head as a response. The princess joined the two. "Luigi? How did you get past security? Oh, never mind. We've got bigger problems," she said. She then noticed the man's sports bag. "Oh, I completely forgot!" Peach yelped; "I'm sorry, Luigi but there's no way we can play tennis today. There's work to be done. Is that alright?"

Luigi nodded his head, slightly disappointed. He bid the princess good day and left the palace without another word. The walk home gave him time to think. Who could've robbed Toadstool Castle? Bowser just failed his master plan; he wouldn't dare show his face for some time. Fawful? No, that wasn't right either. Maybe it was just some random burglar. No, no run-of-the-mill crook could've avoided security. Who could it be? Maybe it was Fawful. Yeah, Fawful…

The green-clad man got home and went straight to bed. Since he had nothing to do, he thought going back to bed wouldn't hurt. He jumped in bed and instantly knew he was wrong. His back collided with hundreds of small, hard objects lying on his bed. Luigi groaned in pain and jumped back onto his feet. He moved the covers and revealed a large pile of gold coins on top of his bed. Luigi gasped. On top of the coins was a note. Luigi read it in silence. It read:

"You forgot something. Ciao."

The note shook in Luigi's hands. His worst fears were confirmed. Dimentio was back, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Back at the palace, Princess Daisy stared out the window of her room, deep in thought. Who was that man, and why didn't he try to hurt her? It didn't seem to make sense.

At that moment, she heard a knock at the door. "Daisy, are you coming," a voice asked from the other side. Peach planned on having the guards ask Daisy a few questions about last night.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming. Just give me a second," the flower princess responded. She shook off her thoughts and went downstairs, ready for anything they could throw at her.


	7. Chapter 7

Diamond City: a place where dreams came to wither away and nobody printed your name in the paper 'till you died. It was a dog-eat-dog town, and only the strongest survived. Yes, it was truly a frightening place, but one lone girl managed to survive.

This woman had recently moved to this city in hopes of finding a new start. Her last job… Well, it didn't end well. She had to move on. For the longest of time she had nowhere to go, then she found this urban jungle. It wasn't her regular taste in environments, but she had to adapt, and there was nothing she was better at than blending into the crowd.

The woman found a job at WarioWare, Inc. designing games. She was to begin in two days, and she couldn't wait. She left the company's headquarters and skipped happily to her new apartment. It wasn't much, but with a few touches here and there it could be home. The girl entered happily, but her smile disappeared when she saw a lone figure floating in the middle of the room.

"Hello, Mimi," the man said. Mimi's eyes widened. Her heart started beating loud and fast. "D-Dimentio? But how?" she asked. The jester chuckled as he took a seat on the couch, seeming a little too comfortable. "Let's not get into details. I haven't seen you in forever and this is how you greet me? Do you know how long it took me to track you down?"

Mimi tried leaving, but Dimentio magically locked the door, just as he did at Luigi's house the night prior. Mimi pressed herself against the wall. "What do you want from me?" she asked.

"My dear Mimi, have you forgotten my goal?" Dimentio returned.

"It's over, Dimentio. I worked for the Count, not you!"

The jester snarled in disgust. "And after all I've done for you, this is how you repay me?" he asked as he floated into the air. Mimi moved closer, gaining some confidence. Her eyes seemed to flare with anger. Dimentio found this amusing. Mimi pointed at the door. "I'm warning you, Dimentio, you better leave, or I'll-"

"You'll do what, exactly? Do you honestly think you can take me on?"

The green-skinned woman pondered this a moment. He was right, she couldn't take him on. But that didn't mean she couldn't try. "I warned you," she said eerily as her eyes went completely black. Dimentio smiled. Now the real show could get started. Mimi tilted her head, cracking her neck. She kept tilting it until her cranium revolved 360 degrees. Her head kept spinning and spinning until it remained upside-down. Large spider legs sprouted from it. Soon Mimi had achieved her true form. This pleased her attacker.

"Oh, I'm so scared," he taunted with a wicked laugh. Mimi charged at him in full speed. For a moment, it looked as if she was going to crush the intruder, but the moment disappeared as quickly as it came. Dimentio teleported himself to the other side of the room. He put a hand behind his head and yawned. "Is that all you've got, because it's really disappointing," he teased.

"Mimimimimimimimimimimimimi…" the spider creature chanted as it redirected itself. It crawled partially on the ground, partially on the wall. One of its legs tried to stab Dimentio, but he merely transported again. The spider jumped into the air and attached itself to the ceiling. Mimi crawled around a bit before lunging at the intruder. The moment he teleported, Mimi redirected one of her legs to stab the area furthest away from her. Luckily for her, that is exactly where Dimentio had moved himself to. He was now pressed up against the wall, unable to move.

The villain grunted in pain. He struggled for freedom, but it was no use. Mimi crawled closer and stared at Dimentio. He looked worried at first, but his smile returned, twice the size it was before. "Funny thing about the people in this world," he started, "is that they always aim for the head, when the body is far more vulnerable."

With that, he threw a magical blast at Mimi's dangling torso. She shrieked in pain as the magic spread through her body. One by one her spider legs disappeared. Soon she was back to normal, lying helplessly on the ground. She coughed and struggled to catch her breath. Dimentio floated over her ominously.

"Now that we've reached an agreement, let's get to work."


	8. Chapter 8

Luigi nervously paced back and forth. The gold coins on his bed glimmered, as if laughing at him. What was the plumber to do? If he was caught with this money, he'd be thrown in the dungeon for sure!

Luigi finally came to a conclusion: he had to return the gold. There was nothing else he could do. But he couldn't just waltz into the palace and give them their money back. No, he had to wait for nighttime, then he could sneak it all back and no one would even notice.

When night finally came, the plumber stuffed all the coins into a large bag he found and walked to Toadstool Castle. Once there, anxiety hit him hard. He couldn't break into the castle; that wasn't right. But if he didn't, he'd have to keep hold of the money, which was worse. Either way, he'd live on with horrible guilt. Luigi started muttering under his breath, trying to calm himself down. He needed to do this. Their was no other choice.

Having reassured himself, Luigi marched up to a specific window on the palace. He pressed it inward with a gentle push, causing it to open. Years around the castle had taught Luigi every nook and cranny of this place. He knew every shortcut and secret passage, as well. Hey, he needed this knowledge for whenever he had repairs to make around the palace.

The plumber entered quietly. He looked around. The hall was filled with dozens of sleeping guards. Man, Toadstool Castle needs better security, doesn't it? Anyways, Luigi tiptoed his way down the hall, carefully stepping over guards. One started moving, prompting Luigi to freeze in his tracks. Luckily for him, the guard was just readjusting himself. The plumber sighed in relief and continued on.

A few moments later, the man was face-to-face with the Royal Treasury's door. He gulped in fear. This was it. It was now or never. Luigi placed the bag on the ground for a moment and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a hair pin (again, don't ask) and started picking the lock. The moment he did so, however, the alarms went off. Soon Luigi was surrounded by a pack of guards. He instinctively raised his arms into the air.

"Wait a minute. Is that… Luigi?" one guard asked. They shined a flashlight at the culprit. Yes, it was indeed Mario's younger brother. Confused chattering started up. The guards didn't know what to do. Their conversations ended when Toadsworth appeared, looking horribly tired. "What is going on here?" he asked in a huff. The guards stepped aside so the old mushroom man could see Luigi. This left Toadsworth in shock.

"Master Luigi? But why?"

The plumber had no answer. He hung his head in shame. Toadsworth sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry, Master Luigi, but you've broken the law. I'm afraid it's the dungeon for you."

Luigi dropped to his knees in defeat. He wasn't going to put up a fight. Soon he was shackled and two guards were leading him to his cell. He sat there quietly as the iron bars slammed in his face. He felt like crying, but he didn't. He just sat there thinking. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when an ominous laugh started up in the distance, getting closer and closer.

"Oh, Luigi, look at the mess you've made," Dimentio remarked when he appeared out of nowhere. Luigi stared at him in fear, then in anger. He tried reaching for the jester, but Dimentio was too fast and teleported outside of the cell. "Temper, temper. Is that any way to treat the guy who's here to help you?" he asked. Luigi screamed that he didn't need Dimentio's help.

"I beg to differ. You see, my friend, without my help, you are the pickles in a jar with a stuck lid: destined to be trapped forever. I have pity on you. I can help you. Just trust in me."

Luigi looked the madman in the eye. The plumber tried to stand his ground, but it was hopeless. He dropped to the ground. Dimentio's grin grew wider. "Good. Now let's get started," he said as he pulled out a pocket watch.

Back upstairs, Toadsworth was telling Peach and Daisy the horrible news. Peach clasped her hands over her mouth in disbelief. "Luigi? That isn't possible!" she protested.

"But it is true, your Highness. The guards caught him red-handed. I even saw it with my own eyes," Toadsworth returned.

Peach shook her head, a feeling of betrayal falling over her. As she looked away, Daisy shook her head skeptically. "You saw him stealing the money?" she asked Toadsworth in a firm voice. The old man stumbled over his words for a moment. "Well, um, no, your Highness, but he was trying to break into the Royal Treasury, and he had a large bag of coins already with him," he answered.

"Then don't you suppose he was trying to _return_ the money?"

"Well, I-"

"He probably caught the crook and got the coins back! He was helping us, and you threw him in the dungeon."

Toadsworth was at a loss for words. He finally hung his head in shame. "I'll tell the guards to let him go," he quietly said.

"No, I'll let him go," Daisy returned before heading down to the dungeon.

The dungeon was no place for a princess, but you already knew that. Daisy looked around at all the cells. They were in horrible conditions, not suitable for any lowlife scum, much less Luigi. The flower princess reached the cell Toadsworth said the plumber was in. She peered inside and saw a silhouette standing in the center of the room.

"Luigi?" Daisy asked.

The man did not answer. The princess quickly unlocked and opened the cell. "There's been a mistake, Luigi. Y-you're free to go now."

The figure still did not answer, but moved towards the princess. She took a step back. "Luigi?"

Before she could move away, a grey glove snatched her wrist. "Afraid not, sweetheart, but you got one thing right."

The man stepped out of the shadows, revealing his masked face to the princess.

"I am free to go, and you're coming with me!"


	9. Chapter 9

Mr. L stepped out of the cell, slamming it shut behind him. Daisy tried freeing herself from his grip, but he was just too strong. The man grabbed her other wrist and applied great pressure. He grinned wildly as he stared into her pain-filled eyes.

"Let me go!" the princess ordered.

"Sorry, lady, but I got specific orders to keep you busy," was the reply. Daisy and him started struggling. Soon she managed to overpower Mr. L. With all her strength, she kicked him in the stomach. The Green Thunder bent over in pain, letting go of Daisy's wrists in the process. She tried running away, but Mr. L caught her and held a switchblade to her neck. "Trust me, sweetheart, you don't wanna do that," he said coldly. The princess didn't try to struggle, seeing just how severe the situation was. Mr. L looked around, then grunted in frustration. "There's gotta be a secret way outta here. Start talkin', princess!" he demanded.

"There's no way of leaving this dungeon," she answered.

"Don't give me that! You and I both know that dungeons always have a secret exit. If you value your life, you'll start talking!"

Daisy fidgeted in a feeble attempt for freedom. No such luck. Seeing no way out, she had no choice but to comply. "Fine. In that cell over there, there's a loose section on the wall."

Mr. L, with the princess close at hand, went to the cell and searched along the wall. Indeed, a section was loose and revealed a way out. The Green Thunder chuckled in satisfaction. "Let's go," he said as he dragged Daisy out. Once outside, Mr. L picked the woman up off the ground and started running into the distance.

Back inside, Princess Peach was checking on the Royal Treasury. All the coins were accounted for and the guards made a note to replace the lock on the door with a far more elaborate one. Everything seemed in order, meaning the princess could go back to bed.

As she headed down the hall, Peach ran into another woman. It was Princess Daisy, and she seemed to be in a hurry. It didn't help that the Mushroom Princess was now in her way. "Daisy, how'd things go with Luigi?" she asked. The flower princess gave her a confused look, as if she didn't know what Peach was talking about. "Huh? Oh, right, Luigi! Yeah, uh, he went back home. He's a bit shaken, but he'll be alright," she finally answered.

"I'm glad to hear it. I just finished things up at the treasury; everything is in order and all the money is safe."

"Even the rubees?"

Now it was Peach's turn to have a confused look. "Rubees? We don't have rubees here, Daisy," she said. Daisy chuckled nervously as she scratched her head. "Right, I forgot," she quickly replied.

"Daisy, are you alright? You seem a bit different."

"Oh, well, um, I'm just kinda… nervous. You know, about the Orb."

Peach gave a playful smile as a response. "Don't worry, silly. I've had the guards relocate it to a spot no one would ever think to look for it," she said.

"Really? Where?"

Peach looked around to make sure no one was listening, then whispered to her friend the location of the prized item.

Miles away, Mr. L was pacing back and forth on a grassy hill. Princess Daisy was tied up and sitting on the ground, trying to find a way out of this situation. It was no use; there was no way she could outrun this guy.

"Hey! Are you gonna tell me what you want from me now or what?" the princess demanded from her captor. Mr. L stopped pacing and looked down at her, the full moon lit behind him. "Look, all I know is that the boss told me to get rid of the next princess I run into, and that was you. Why I had to is beyond me," he answered in a rather annoyed tone.

Daisy leaned in closer to get a good look at the robber. Then she realized something. "Wait a minute! You're that guy from last night! The one who tried to steal the Crown Orb!"

"Wow, it took you this long to figure it out? Brains ain't your strong suit, toots."

"Who are you and what have you done with Luigi?!"

Mr. L threw his arms into the air in frustration. "There's that name again! Who is this Luigi guy, anyways?" he asked, now more annoyed than ever. Daisy stood up, still unable to free her arms from the binding. "Don't play dumb with me!" she yelled; "Luigi was in that cell, then when I went back, you were in his place. What have you done to him?!"

"I didn't do anything! The last thing I remember, my boss hit me over the head with my bag of coins. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a dungeon. That's it. I have no clue where your friend went, and I don't care."

The Green Thunder pulled out his switchblade and walked behind Daisy. "What are you doing?" she asked. A few moments later, the rope fell to the ground. Mr. L held his knife at Daisy's throat again.

"I think it'd be rather rude if I kept you tied up. Now come on. The night's young."

With that, Mr. L grabbed the princess by her wrist and headed straight for Toad Town, ready to wreak chaos.

* * *

Silence. Peace. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The guards slept peacefully at their posts. All was quiet at Toadstool Castle. All, that is, except for one certain princess.

Daisy silently made her way to the kitchen, her face stoic in expression. It was nothing new for the flower princess to get up in the middle of the night and head for this room; she always enjoyed a late night snack. This night, however, she wasn't getting something to eat.

The kitchen was dark and cold at night, and this night was no exception. Daisy stepped in without making a single sound. She needed to stay quiet if her mission was to be complete. She moved towards the walk-in pantry and opened the door. Ignoring all the food, the princess walked straight to the back and placed her hand on the wall. She found a specific brick and pushed it in. The rest of the wall suddenly moved up, revealing a giant safe. Daisy entered the combination Peach had told her earlier. The door opened.

Daisy walked in and soon found what she was looking for. She picked up the Crown Orb and studied it for a minute. A ball that could grant wishes. Why did that sound so familiar…?

The princess pulled a walkie-talkie out of her pocket. "I've got it," she said with little enthusiasm.

"Excellent. Meet me outside the palace. Ciao."

Daisy put the device away before closing the safe. She walked out of the pantry as her skin reverted back to its original emerald hue.


	10. Chapter 10

"Where are you taking me?"

"Just shut your mouth and you'll see."

Mr. L led Daisy through the dark corners of Toad Town. He really didn't know this place very well-at all, as a matter of fact-but he didn't slow his step. The princess stared at him in a combination of fear and excitement. She had no clue what the man was planning on doing with her. A number of horrible things could happen, and at the moment, Daisy was powerless to do otherwise.

Soon the two were in the bad part of Toad Town. They were running for what seemed like an eternity when Mr. L stopped in his tracks, causing Daisy to bump into him. The Green Thunder smiled at what he was staring at. Daisy seemed confused for a moment before looking as well. It was a pie shop, apparently having a grand reopening. The place was crowded with Toads, Nokis, and all other sorts of creatures. Mr. L's smile grew wider, showing his bleach-white teeth. He tightened his grip on Daisy's wrist as he led her to the shop.

"Let me go! I don't want pie!" the flower princess yelped. Mr. L rolled his eyes. "We're not getting pie. I just wanna have a little fun with the people is all," he replied. Daisy didn't like the sound of that. She tried pulling her wrist free, but her captor flashed his switchblade at her, reminding the princess of the consequences. Daisy had no choice but to follow.

The pie shop was filled to the brim with customers. Many of them were sitting outside at tables, happily eating mushroom pies. A red Noki in a black dress would pass by every now-and-then to serve the public. She was assisted by a small Toad boy dressed as a waiter. The crowd was in such a good mood that they started singing drinking songs. All were happy; all was perfect, which gave Mr. L the perfect opportunity.

The Green Thunder stealthily made his way through the mass of people, Daisy close at hand. She had no idea what the criminal wanted, and she didn't really care to know. She was still worried about Luigi. What had happened to the plumber?

Before long, Mr. L stopped by two Toads sitting at a table. The criminal sneakily reached into their pockets and swiped their wallets without anyone noticing. He placed them in his own pocket and carried on as if nothing happened. Daisy saw this and immediately cried foul. "Hey! What're you-"

She was unable to finish the question, as Mr. L put his hand over her mouth. A few customers stared at the two. "No worries, folks. This one's had one too many, if you know what I mean," the crook lied through his teeth. The public gave hardy chuckles before getting back to their pies. Daisy managed to free herself and glared at her captor. "What's the idea?!" she scolded.

"If you rat me out, you can say goodbye to that pretty little smile of yours," Mr. L warned with a flip of his switchblade.

"You can't do anything to me here. Do you know the punishment for even laying a hand on a Royal?"

"Please, lady, have you seen yourself? You don't look the part."

Daisy looked down at herself and realized she was still in her pajamas. Her face turned slightly red, which Mr. L noticed. He chuckled as he put the blade away. The princess, always one to hate public humiliation, turned her embarrassment into anger. She mustered enough strength to free her wrist and slap Mr. L to the ground. The crowd gasped, a few people giggling. The Green Thunder, in shock at what had just happened, only stared at the princess in awe.

"I'm getting out of here!" Daisy yelled. She started stomping off when Mr. L violently pulled her back. His eyes were full of fury and his teeth were clenched with rage. In short, he was not happy. Getting away from the crowd, the villain pulled the flower princess off to the side. "No one slaps the Green Thunder and gets away with it, your hear me?! NOBODY!"

With that, the crook reached into his seemingly bottomless pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. He cuffed the princess to a nearby pole. She pulled at the handcuffs, but it was no use. These handcuffs were special; a gift from a certain jester. Mr. L glared at Daisy with a wicked smile. He was about to slap her when he heard something. Back at the pie shop, a pale Toad with a black mushroom cap (with a single white spot) came hobbling out of the second floor.

"Would anyone care for a shave?" the Toad asked, flashing a razor at the swarm of customers. Mr. L thought for a moment, then felt his chin, which was covered with stubble. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere," he finally said. He then strutted through the crowd (grabbing wallets and jewelry along the way) and went upstairs to the tonsorial parlor for a quick shave.

The princess waited a moment. When it was clear that her captor was definitely gone, she called out for help. Some Toads took notice of her, but chose to ignore her cries. This truly was the bad part of Toad Town. Daisy rolled her eyes and tried again to pull at the handcuffs. The magic spell on them seemed unbreakable, but Daisy was never one to give up easily. With all her strength, she pulled with one last attempt. Her muscles threatened to tear through her skin and her face scrunched up in pain. Eventually the entire pole came out of the ground, sending the princess on her back.

Daisy shook her head to get rid of the dazed state she was in. Once that was done, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a hair pin. (Noticing a theme here?) She wiggled it in the keyhole of the handcuffs in an attempt to open them. She finally heard a click and her wrist was free. That's right, folks, the most powerful of magic is powerless against a hair pin. Logic has no place here.

The princess couldn't believe how easily she escaped. Not wasting any time, she ran off in the direction of Toadstool Castle, unaware of the danger that laid ahead.


	11. Chapter 11

The streets were dark and filled with ominous fog. Only one streetlight was lit in the otherwise black setting. Rats fought with each other over scraps of food, the loser nearly drowning in a nearby puddle. He managed to escape, though, and barely avoided being crushed a young woman's foot.

Princess Daisy rushed down the street, constantly looking back to make sure she wasn't being followed. She needed to get back to Toadstool Castle and warn everyone about the madman who kidnapped her. If she didn't, horrible things would happen.

As she drew nearer to the palace, Daisy realized that the streets were getting darker and darker. Soon enough, she was unable to see her hand in front of her face. She stumbled around in the darkness in an attempt to find her way. Daisy eventually put her hand against a nearby wall and followed it along. It wasn't too long before she started to hear footsteps echoing from the distance. The steps were in unison with her pounding heart. Daisy picked up her pace from a quick walk to a slow run. She didn't know who was there, but she had no intentions of finding out.

Daisy ran as fast as she could, but the footsteps only got closer and closer. Whoever was following her was perfectly capable of keeping up with the princess. There was no escape. The chase ended quite abruptly when Daisy hit something and fell to the ground, giving her follower enough time to catch up with her.

"Well, what do we have here?" he said from the shadows. When the man spoke, the princess realized that it wasn't the burglar who abducted her, but that didn't change the fact that she didn't want this guy around. The figure stepped out of the darkness and close enough for Daisy to see that it was a Goomba. The flower princess stood up in utter disbelief. _This_ is what she was so afraid of? It was just a Goomba!

"Get lost; I'm in a hurry!" the princess ordered rather harshly.

"Oh, come on, baby, I just got here. Don't leave me this way."

Daisy scoffed in disgust and turned to leave. When she did, however, she was stopped by a rather large Pianta. The Goomba chuckled gruffly. "Like I said, you can't leave just yet."

The princess tried to dash away, but the Pianta grabbed her from behind. It lifted her off the ground and squeezed her with great pressure. Daisy started having trouble breathing and began coughing. The Goomba merely watched in amusement. "We know who you are, your Majesty, and we know what you're worth. Sarasaland will pay us tons to make sure you don't get hurt. Oh, yes, I can tell you're a keeper," the creature teased. Daisy struggled for a moment, but the Pianta tightened its grip. The princess could feel her body going numb.

"Come on, we got work to do!" the Goomba commanded. The Pianta nodded and began following his boss. Each step shook the ground, along with the flower princess. She looked around in an attempt to find a way out. She then thought of something. "Hey, ya big balooka, your shoes are untied," she said to the Pianta. The henchman tilted his head, then looked down at his feet, loosening his grip as he did so. The Goomba rolled his eyes. "Hurry up and tie 'em so we… Wait a minute. Piantas don't wear shoes!"

Before he had time to react, the Pianta found himself lying on the ground with Daisy's foot on his stomach. She then turned her attention to the Goomba, who looked rather nervous. He made a mad dash in the other direction, fearing for his little Goomba life. Needless to say it was useless. The flower princess scooped the critter off the ground and lifted him to eye level. Her angry glare indicated that she wouldn't show any mercy. The crook was unable to maintain his composure and soon started sobbing. "Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry! It's tough out here, you know, when no one helps you out," he begged; "I didn't choose this life; it chose me! Please, if you let me go, I-I'll turn over a new leaf. I swear!"

While the Goomba was pleading his case, his Pianta sidekick was slowly getting up. The behemoth quietly snuck up behind the woman. He picked up a nearby chunk of wood and raised it over his head. The Goomba saw this and smiled darkly at Daisy. "Bye-bye!" he cheered. The Pianta began swinging the wood down. It was but a mere inches from the princess' head when something crashed into the henchman and knocked him back to the ground. Daisy turned around just in time to see a shadowy figure brutally punching her attacker. When the Pianta was definitely knocked out, the savior rose and turned his attention to the princess and the Goomba. The man stepped out of the shadows. Daisy's eyes widened. "You!" she said in shock.

Her hero was none other than the Green Thunder himself, Mr. L.

The Goomba, seeing how there were now two angry people against him, went back to his sobbing shtick. Mr. L ignored his pleas and snatched him out of Daisy's hands. The man glared at the creature with a stare that could pierce souls. "Get lost," was all Mr. L said before he put the Goomba down. The being didn't need to be told twice; he ran off in a mad frenzy, dragging the unconscious Pianta behind him.

The two humans stood in silence. Daisy didn't know how to react. The stranger finally broke the silence. "I told you not to leave. Make no mistake, you will pay for that," he said in a rather cold tone. Another long pause.

"Thank you," the princess finally said. Mr. L looked at her for a moment. "Whatever," he replied.

"How did you find me?"

"You're a princess in pajamas. Trust me, you weren't that hard to track down."

Another long, awkward pause.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," Mr. L started. He polished his knuckles on his shirt and gave a slight bow. "They call me Mr. L."

He offered his hand for the princess to shake. She hesitated at first, but eventually succumbed to the Green Thunder. Both had strong grips in the handshake. "Hi, I'm Daisy."

At that moment, a sound went off in Mr. L's pocket. He reached in and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Hello?" he asked.

"It's done. Bring the princess back," was the reply of a familiar voice. The line went cold. Mr. L put the device away and looked at Daisy. "Well, sweetheart, time for you to go back."

Sometime later, Princess Daisy and Mr. L were standing outside the gates of Toadstool Castle. They spent the entire trip there in silence, much to Daisy's relief. She really had nothing to say to this man. She was grateful that he had saved her, but he was still a crook, and therefore couldn't be trusted. And yet part of her wanted to know more about him. That would have to wait, however, as she needed to get back inside.

The Green Thunder took the princess' hand and gave it a small kiss. "Until next time," he said before dashing out of sight. Daisy stood there for the longest of time staring at her hand. How could this man be so cruel one minute, then quite charming in the next.

* * *

Mr. L didn't get very far before he found himself being transported back to the green dimension. Dimentio stood before him, a green-skinned woman with a forlorn expression by his side.

"Mimi? What're you doing here?" Mr. L asked. Mimi gave no answer, but merely avoided eye contact. Dimentio laughed victoriously. "Simple, my dear Mr. L. I brought Mimi in to do what you couldn't."

With that, he pulled up his right hand, revealing a large, translucent sphere. Mr. L's eyes widened. "The Crown Orb?" the man asked. Dimentio only nodded as a response.

"But how?" the Green Thunder continued.

"That's none of your concern. She did her job, and she did it well. Now there's the matter of what to do with you." The jester thought for a moment. "I could kill you right now, but the Orb will not work for a few more days, and I'll need you then. Hmm…"

And that's when it hit him. Dimentio's smile grew out of proportions. "Yes, I know what I can use you for. Once it's time for the ceremonies to begin, we won't want anybody disturbing our work. I need you to take care of someone."

Mr. L rolled his eyes. "More minion grunt work? Forget it!"

"Oh, but my friend, you'll enjoy this job like sweet candy on a Tuesday. You see, there's this mustachioed plumber who must not interrupt us. I want the fur from his lip on a silver platter."

Mr. L's eyes widened as a devilish smile of his own began to form. "You mean…?"

"That's right. I want you to _kill_ the man in red."


	12. Chapter 12

Daisy awoke rather late the next morning. She slowly sat up in bed, rubbed her eyes, and yawned. It took her quite a while to realize she had slept in. When the thought finally came into her head, Daisy threw on her dress, slapped on some makeup, and ran downstairs, where she was greeted by Princess Peach.

"Well, Daisy, you sure got up la-"

The Mushroom Princess let her jaw drop slightly as she stared at her friend. Daisy took this in the wrong way. "What're you looking at?" she asked defensively.

"Um, Daisy? Were you in a hurry this morning?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well… Just look."

Peach produced a hand mirror and gave it to Daisy. The flower princess then immediately realized the problem. Her makeup was a horrific mess. Her mascara made black circles around her eyes, as if she were wearing a mask. Daisy nearly shrieked at the sight.

"Are you alright, Daisy?" Peach asked. "You seem a bit jumpy this morning."

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that-"

Daisy cut herself off. She contemplated the events of the night prior. Should she tell Peach? This was important and vital information for the Mushroom Kingdom's safety. Yes, Daisy had to tell her… But she couldn't. She wanted to warn her friend about Mr. L and whatever was "done" according to the man on the walkie-talkie, but she just couldn't. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't.

"Daisy?"

The flower princess snapped back into reality. "Huh? Oh, right. It's just that… Well, I'm worried about Luigi," she finally answered, thinking of the plumber's sudden disappearance. Peach giggled at this, as if to imply a deeper meaning in her friend's sentiments. "If you're so worried, why don't you go check on him at his house later?" the Mushroom Princess suggested; "I'm sure he's fine, but-"

"Wait, Luigi's back at his house?"

"Of course he is. You let him go last night, remember?"

At that moment, Toadsworth came hobbling in with several other Toads. "Your Highness, it is time for the Parliament meeting. We must go, posthaste!" he ordered. Peach was then whisked away in a sea of Toads. "I'll talk to you later, Daisy!" she called out.

"Wait, Peach!"

But it was too late. The princess was in another room. Daisy grumbled under her breath. Why didn't she say anything about last night?! The flower princess stomped upstairs and went back in her room, leaving the door wide open. She sat down at a desk and looked in a mirror, trying to fix her makeup. She was so distracted, she didn't notice the dark figure hiding behind the door, slowly closing it.

The door finally closed. Daisy whipped her head around and came face-to-face with Mr. L. The princess stood up and took a defensive stance. The intruder merely chuckled at the action. "You can't take me," he warned. Three seconds later, Daisy had Mr. L pinned against the wall. "Uncle! Uncle!" he begged.

"What do you want? How did you get in here?" the flower princess demanded.

"Your window was open. Not a smart move, but we already established your lack of intelligence."

At that, Daisy rammed her knee into Mr. L's back.

"Okay, I deserved that," he continued with a groan.

"What did you do with Luigi?!"

"Again with this Luigi! I don't know anything about no Luigi! How many times do I gotta say this?!"

Daisy turned the crook around so as to look him in the eye. His eyes were as grey and mysterious as they were two nights ago. Daisy couldn't tell what he was thinking. Mr. L knew this and smiled coyly. Daisy didn't like this and started shaking the man by his shoulders.

"Peach said _I_ let him go. _I_ never did, so who has him?!" she barked rather aggressively.

"How should I-"

The Green Thunder cut himself off and thought a moment. "Mimi," he finally said under his breath.

"What?" Daisy asked.

"Nothing, nothing. Just rambling to myself. Look, I don't know who this Luigi is or why your attraction to him is so strong-"

"What did you say?!"

"But I'm sure he's at his house this very moment. If you'll lead, I'll be more than happy to join you and prove my innocence," the Green Thunder offered. With that, he climbed out the window and onto a nearby tree branch. He extended his hand for Daisy to take. She hesitated. Was she really dumb enough to fall for an obvious trap? No, but was she willing to?

At last, the princess grabbed the Green Thunder's hand and joined him in the tree. "Ladies first," he said as he motioned to the ground. Daisy gave him an annoyed look, but started down the tree anyways, leaving Mr. L alone on the branch. He pulled out his walkie-talkie.

"Hey, Dimentio," the crook started, "I'm gonna need a favor from Mimi."


	13. Chapter 13

It was an ordinary day in Toad Town. Everything was in order and its residents couldn't be happier. It was quite a nice day, actually. "Good morning, princess!" one Toad greeted when he saw Princess Daisy walking down the street. She waved hello and continued on her way, never letting on that a dark figure was following her from the shadows.

Mr. L used all his stealth and cunning to hide from the large crowds of Toad Town. On a regular day, the crook would just waltz right through them and take a few "souvenirs" along the way. But this was no regular day; this was an _ordinary_ day. D-don't even try to make sense out of that.

Anyways, Mr. L sneakily sneaked all the way through Toad Town until he and the princess were finally out. "I hate people," the villain said to himself. Daisy rolled her eyes before walking down a long path. "This is the way to Luigi's house," she explained.

"Good to know," Mr. L replied in a most untrusting manner. This made the flower princess stop in her tracks and look at the man. He grinned playfully and tipped his hat before continuing on. Daisy remained for a moment or two, then quickly caught up to L.

"Listen, bub, if you try to do anything to Luigi, I'll-"

"You'll do what, exactly?" the Green Thunder challenged, putting Daisy on the spot. She didn't really have an answer for him, leaving her with a confounded expression. Mr. L chuckled. "That's what I thought," he smirked; "What is your attachment to this guy, anyways?"

"He's a friend, that's all."

"Is that so?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I'm just saying. Every time we meet, you ask about Luigi. Gets a guy thinking."

Before Daisy could clobber him for that remark, the two finally reached a giant mansion. "We're here," the flower princess noted. Mr. L looked at the place with a puzzled look on his face. "Why does it look so familiar?" he asked himself.

As the princess approached the door, Mr. L hid in a nearby bush. Daisy rang the doorbell and waited a mere three seconds before the door opened. "Luigi?" she asked. Mr. L heard another voice greeting the woman. Soon enough, the princess disappeared into the giant house, leaving the Green Thunder all by himself.

A few hours later, Mr. L was still in the bush, now fast asleep. He was abruptly awoken by the sound of two people laughing. He looked up and saw Daisy exiting the house with a big smile on her face. Disturbing as this was to L, what really shocked him was the man Daisy was with. A man in a green shirt, blue overalls, and a green hat, the exact outfit Mr. L was wearing when Dimentio first brought him back. The crook took another look at the man's face. Needless to say he was stunned.

Daisy and Luigi said their goodbyes. The plumber retreated back into the house, giving Mr. L the opportunity to approach the princess. "I thought you'd never finish," he complained. Daisy looked down with a humble expression. "You were right," she said, prompting the man to smirk.

"Well, Miss Daisy, seeing as this Luigi was here all along, that means you must've freed him, meaning I am not to blame and am therefore off the hook," L deduced with a smug grin on his face.

"You're a regular detective, aren't you?" Daisy asked.

"Is that a hint of sarcasm I detect? Miss Daisy, I believe you are trying to be friends with me."

Daisy blushed slightly. Mr. L extended his hand for her to shake. Instead of hesitating, the princess immediately shook it. Then Mr. L had a brilliant idea. "We should celebrate!" he announced, pointing his finger into the air; "Why don't you let me take you out around town, huh? So as to get better acquainted."

The princess thought about this for a moment. At last, she finally agreed to it. They agreed to a time before Mr. L escorted her back to Toadstool Castle.

Later that day, Mr. L returned to the mansion. He pounded on the door. It slowly creaked open, revealing a solemn-looking, green-skinned girl. "Hello, L," she greeted halfheartedly. Instead of returning the hello, the Green Thunder shoved past Mimi and stomped into the house. "What's the idea?" he demanded; "Well?!"

Mimi had no clue what Mr. L was talking about. Before she could say so, the two were transported back to the green dimension, where Dimentio was sitting on a rather large chair. "Hello, my friends," he greeted with a smile.

"You know, don't you?!" Mr. L asked.

"Why, Mr. L, whatever could you be talking about?" the jester asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me! Why did Mimi disguise herself as me?!"

Mimi tilted her head in confusion. "I didn't do that. I was disguised as Luigi," she clarified.

"No, you looked exactly like me. If you were disguised as him, then why does this Luigi guy look like me?"

Dimentio floated out of his chair and laughed, sending chills down his minions' spines. "My dear Mr. L, how you are so quick to lash out at your friends. I assure you, all will be revealed in due time," the master explained. This didn't really settle the Green Thunder, who seemed to be getting angrier.

"Forget it, Dimentio! I'm done with all this! Get another lackey to do your dirty work," he said. Dimentio didn't like the sound of this and was almost worried for a moment. Almost.

Mr. L turned, looking for a way out. Dimentio put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Come now, my friend, this is for the greater good," he assured; "Soon all our enemies will bow before us."

In a sudden instant, the jester grabbed Mimi by the throat with his free hand and lifted her off the ground. The shape-shifter gasped for air and struggled for freedom. It was no use. "Remember how much fun this is, torturing others for our own amusement?" Dimentio asked with a wicked grin; "You can't run from this life, Mr. L. You and I both know it's in your blood. You were born to cause chaos and you love it."

"Dimentio…" Mimi gasped.

"Silence!" the jester barked before tightening his grip around her neck. He then returned his attention to the Green Thunder. "So what'll it be, my friend? Do you really think you can turn your back on all this fun?"

Mr. L remained silent for the longest of time. Mimi was about to pass out when the man sighed. "Fine," he finally agreed. Dimentio's grin grew wider as he dropped Mimi to the floor. She coughed and gagged, struggling for oxygen. The jester ignored this as he welcomed Mr. L back into the family. "Now don't forget your mission," the boss said before sending the man back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Dimentio snapped his fingers and a door appeared before him. He was about to enter, but stopped all of a sudden. "Get up, there's work to do," he said to Mimi without ever turning to face her. With that, Dimentio disappeared behind the door, leaving Mimi all alone.


	14. Chapter 14

The curtain of night fell blissfully over the Mushroom Kingdom that night. At Toadstool Castle, Princess Peach was sitting by the fireplace with a nice cup of tea in one hand and a good book in the other. It was a story of love, sacrifice, and betrayal, but you wouldn't be interested.

Caught up in her story, Peach didn't even notice Princess Daisy heading upstairs to bed. Of course, the flower princess wasn't going to sleep. No, she had to get ready for an outing with a particular man. A few minutes later, Daisy heard a knock at her window. She went to it and saw a pair of glowing grey eyes staring back at her from the darkness. She opened the window, letting Mr. L inside.

"It's about time. I-"

The Green Thunder got a good look at Daisy. Instead of her normal yellow and orange, she was wearing an elegant black dress with matching shoes. Mr. L stared with a blank face. This disturbed the princess. "um, hello?" she said, waving her hand in front of the man's eyes. He quickly snapped out of it and shook his head. "I'm fine," he said rather weakly.

"Where are we going?" Daisy asked, sounding more inquisitive than curious.

"I dunno, maybe dancing, dinner perhaps."

"Sounds good to me."

Mr. L helped the princess out onto the tree and they climbed down together. Daisy, knowing the area better, led the way to Toad Town. The two walked at a steady pace, unaware that they were being watched all the while.

* * *

Dimentio sat in his throne, staring into a crystal ball. He was watching Daisy and Mr. L walking down the path to Toad Town. The jester's face showed deep contemplation, as if he was wondering what Mr. L was doing. At that moment, Mimi approached the master.

"What're you looking at?" she asked. Dimentio did not answer; he didn't even acknowledge her presence for that matter. Mimi looked at the crystal ball and saw the two humans. "Aren't they cute together?" she squealed with delight. The jester gave her a cold look, reminding the changeling of her place. She humbly apologized and left without another word.

* * *

"Where the heck are we?" Mr. L asked in confusion.

"You said you wanted to go dancing, right? Well, this is the best place for it," Daisy answered with a sly grin.

Mr. L looked around. The princess had led him to a strange dance club built in the shape of a mushroom. How original. The two stepped inside and were instantly greeted with flashing lights and a pulsating beat. Daisy seemed to enjoy it, but Mr. L had disgust written all over his face. To him, this place was most unorthodox!

Daisy went to go dance in the crowd, forgetting the person she came here with. Unfortunately for the princess, Mr. L hated being ignored. He approached the DJ Toad and whispered something to him. The Toad nodded his head and switched tracks to a Latin tango. The crowd, especially Daisy, was rather confused.

Before she had time to react, Daisy found herself in Mr. L's arms. "Now we can dance," he said in a surprisingly soft tone. The two marched to the center of the dance floor, which was cleared out to make room for them. Mr. L led with great force and passion. Daisy was quite surprised at what a talented dancer he was.

"I'm quite surprised at what a talented dancer you are," she said. Mr. L smirked before spinning the princess. "Tango is a seductive ritual," he said, "between a man and a woman. Sensual, hot, and hard."

"I'm a bumblebee."

"What?"

"Nothing."

The two continued the dance with increasing burning passion. The heat of their steps, the rhythm in their feet, the fury in their hearts. Such a combination would make the average person explode due to unhealthy amounts of awesomeness. But these two weren't average, in any sense of the word. Mr. L finished by dipping Daisy's head close to the ground. The crowd cheered at their skillful dance. Daisy panted heavily, but Mr. L seemed unfazed.

The two sat down at a nearby table. Mr. L tapped his finger to the beat of the current song, having nothing else to do. "I don't suppose you're done with this place, hmm?" he asked.

"Is it not your style?" Daisy asked.

"I prefer more formal dancing, if you have to know," the Green Thunder answered.

"Wow, I'd never take you for that."

"Did you not just see me dancing the tango? I knew you were dumb, but wow."

Daisy gave him a dirty look, but did nothing more than that. "Well, if you prefer that sorta stuff, you should come to-"

The princess cut herself off, realizing what she was saying. Mr. L noticed this immediately and raised an eyebrow. "Come to what?" he asked.

"Never mind. They'd never let you in."

"In what?"

"Well… Every year, Princess Peach hosts a masquerade ball. It's in a few days. But there's no way they'd let a lowdown crook like you in."

Mr. L thought about this for a moment. "Who's gonna be there?" he finally asked.

"Everyone, really. Me, Peach, Mario, Luigi, the list goes on."

Mr. L thought another few minutes. A devilish smile grew on his face. "In that case, I'll be delighted to go," he declared triumphantly. Daisy shook her head. "Oh, no. No, they won't trust you," she clarified.

"Do you trust me?" the man asked.

"Not really, no," the princess replied, not hesitating one second.

"Well, that kinda hurt. But believe me, Miss Daisy, I can be at my best behavior. If there's one thing I show respect to, it's a formal party. I wouldn't dare mess one of those up."

Now it was Daisy's turn to think for a moment. Mr. L sounded sincere about this. Maybe she could trust him. "Alright, fine," she answered at last, "but you have to stay discreet. You can't draw attention to yourself."

"Oh, believe me, princess, being discreet is my specialty."

* * *

Dimentio looked away from the crystal ball. "So that's his plan," he whispered to himself. "How delicious."

Mimi then returned, a scared expression on her face. "Um, D-Dimentio?" she stammered. The jester looked at her with a blank expression. He said nothing, yet his presence alone struck fear into the girl's heart. "I-I was wondering if, since I d-did what you asked, i-if I could go home now."

Dimentio stared at her for the longest time, letting the tension build up. He then smiled. "Oh, no, my dear Mimikins. We still need you for so much. Like the drowning giraffe-"

"I want to go home!" Mimi interrupted with newfound anger. The instant after she did so, however, she regretted it. Dimentio's smiled disappeared for a moment, only to return twice its original size.

"Let me tell you a story, Mimi," the jester started; "I have lived for many, many years. Centuries, even. I remember when shadows ruled over this land. Everyone cowered and begged for mercy. None of them received it, of course. Everyone suffered and it was torture. And you know what? I preferred it that way. I was at the top; I was the one they feared. Now I'd like to get things back to the way they were. Back to simpler times. And you want to ruin that by going back home? Is that what I am hearing, Mimi?"

Mimi did not reply at first; her mouth was sealed shut with fear. "ANSWER ME!" Dimentio shouted.

"No! No," the girl cried. Dimentio grinned at her fear. "Never forget your place, my dear. It could be the difference between life and death," he said, patting Mimi on the head. The jester then snapped his fingers, summoning the mysterious door. He pulled a dark book out of nowhere and looked back down at the tortured woman. "Now, if you'll excuse me," he said, "I have some reading to do."

And like that, he was gone. The door vanished into thin air. Mimi stood there in complete silence for well over five minutes. She then slumped to the ground and began crying. She started thinking of her past, and where it all went wrong.


	15. Chapter 15

_I remember it all as if it were only yesterday. It was a time I wish I could forget, but I know that I never can, no matter how hard I try. It will haunt me for as long as I live._

_I was an orphan when I was a child. The orphanage was not one of my favorite places. The headmistress had convinced me that the children hated me because I was different. My changeling skills were "unholy," as she would say. She told me how the world was cruel and wicked, and how she alone was who I could trust in that whole city. She was my only friend. To make her point, she would beat me every time I tried to use my powers. She said it was the only way I would learn._

_I remember one day I decided to go outside and play with the others, hoping to find a friend. The other kids were playing kickball. It looked like fun. I approached them with hesitation. "Can I play?" I asked softly. The others all looked at me. One kid, a Toad that seemed to be the leader, gave a smug grin. "Sure, come on," he invited. I couldn't believe it. Maybe the headmistress was wrong about these kids. I mean, it wasn't as if they were normal. A good portion of them were talking mushrooms!_

_Soon enough, it was my turn at the plate. I stood ready to kick the ball. The Toad smiled harshly as he glared at me. Then it happened. The boy threw the ball at my head with great force. I fell to the ground, hitting my head on the hard concrete. The other kids laughed. I began to cry, but their laughter only got stronger. The leader Toad walked up to me. "The headmistress warned us about you," he said; "You're a freak. Come on, guys, let's go."_

_With that, they all left. I stood up slowly, walked to a nearby tree and sat under it, and continued crying. I was interrupted, though, when I heard more laughing. But it wasn't any of the other orphans. This laughter wasn't as teasing, but somehow twice as menacing. It was coming from up in the tree. I looked up and saw a man sitting on a branch. He seemed to be laughing at me._

"_What're you laughing at?!" I asked defensively. I was in no mood to be taunted again._

"_Nothing, really. I just like to laugh," the man answered. He leaned forward, revealing his masked face and a smile. A smile that I could never escape. He started laughing again. "It's interesting, really," he continued; "Orphans can be so cruel."_

_I looked away. "Oh, you saw that?" I asked._

"_Oh, yes, my dear. You have my deepest condolences."_

_The man disappeared from the tree, then reappeared right next to me. "We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Dimentio," he said with a slight bow. He offered his hand for me to shake. I hesitated at first, but eventually did take it. "I'm Mimi," I returned._

"_Mimi. What a lovely name for a lovely child."_

_I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me smile. The jester man kneeled down beside me. "Now tell me why they did all that to you," he said. My smile disappeared as I avoided eye contact. "They hate me because I'm different," I answered. The man tilted his head, as if confused._

"_Different?" he asked. "And what's the problem with that? Look at me, child. Do I look normal to you?"_

"_Um…"_

"_Of course not! But do I care? No. Back where I came from, everyone respected me." He paused for a moment. "Tell me, Mimi, how exactly are you different?"_

_I then began to explain my special ability of shape-shifting. The jester's smile seemed to grow. He laughed and showered me with compliments. He was the first person to make me feel proud of my talent. I always appreciated him for that._

_We would meet everyday under that tree, talking about this or that. I told him about my dreams of fame and fashion. He never really told me his wants, but he assured me that they were big. Whenever another orphan would bother me, Dimentio would give me advice on what to do. When that Toad boy pushed me into a mud pile, for example, the jester told me to put spiders in that kid's bed. I thought it was hilarious, but he had to go to the hospital for a little bit. Turns out they were venomous spiders._

_One day, under the suggestion of the jester, I made myself look like the headmistress. I ordered the orphans to cater to my every whim. For once, I was on top, and I was enjoying every minute of it. The fun didn't last, however. Soon the real headmistress caught wind of my actions. She found me alone in my room, surrounded by the gifts I made the others buy me. She wasn't happy._

"_What do you think you are doing," she asked in a cold tone._

"_I-I was just-"_

"_Don't speak, you monster. I warned you about using your powers. It is unholy what you can do, you abomination. You will return all these things, then report to my office."_

_She left after that, slamming my door on the way out. I sat there quietly, wanting to cry. Then I heard that familiar laughter. Dimentio appeared out of nowhere. He didn't greet me or ask what was wrong. He simply said, "That hag needs to be taught a lesson."_

"_Can you help me?" I asked._

"_I can, but I can't guarantee you'll be satisfied," he warned. I ignored this and assured him that I would be. He shrugged. "Then let's get to work," he said. He then pulled out an assortment of mechanical parts. Gears, springs, and many other things were present._

"_What's that for," I asked in fear. Dimentio's smile grew cold and made my fear increase. "You'll see," was all he said._

_Hours later, I finally entered the headmistress' office. She looked incredibly mad. "I've tried to help you become normal," she said, "but you just seem to reject my teachings. Well, I assure you, young lady, this is the last time you use your powers."_

_She pulled out her meter stick and approached me. I cowered as she raised it into the air. As it was coming down, something happened to me. The room began spinning, and everything was going black. When I came out of this state I realized something bad happened. I looked around and saw the floor was red. I…I killed her. The headmistress was dead._

_I confronted Dimentio about what he did to me. He laughed at my anger, as if I were making a fool of myself. "What did you do to me?!" I asked._

"_Simple, really. I helped you. You asked for revenge, and I did what was necessary for you to achieve it. I gave you your true form," he answered. I screamed at him and begged him to change me back, but he refused on the grounds that he'll need my assistance later in life. Only after I helped him would he remove the curse. And with that, he disappeared._

_I waited days for that jester man to return. Soon days turned into weeks, which in turn became years. The man who took over the orphanage had forced me into solitude for the remainder of my days. I had given up all hope when my door opened that faithful day. A man in white entered, followed by a very professional-looking woman._

"_K, um, Count, are you sure about this?" the woman asked._

"_Of course, Nastasia. This girl is special," was the answer._

_The man and I had a conversation. Words were said about my powers and other words were said about his mission. Before the day was done, I found myself leaving the orphanage with the two. That day, I became one of Count Bleck's loyal minions._

_The Count introduced me to the team. There was him, Nastasia, and O'Chunks. One person was late, though. When he finally arrived, I was in shock. Yes, it was my old friend Dimentio, who hadn't changed one bit. He acted as if we had never met before._

_When the two of us were alone, Dimentio assured me that he was sorry for what he had done to me. And you know what? I believed him. Like the fool I was, I believed him. Maybe it was because he was my first real friend. It is only now that I realize that he was never my friend. I was just another pawn in Dimentio's game._

* * *

Mimi stood up from the ground, wiping the tears out of her eyes. How long had she been on the floor? Two, three hours? Before she could figure it out, the magic door appeared once again, and Dimentio came through it.

"There are important matters to attend to," he said with his usual smile; "Get to work. I've got something I need to take care of."

With that, he teleported elsewhere. Mimi had no clue what to do. She stood there for a minute or two before walking off to check on the Crown Orb. The life of a lackey, this is all she was good for.


	16. Chapter 16

Diamond City, two days later. There was nothing special about this day. The streets continued to scream and the sky was still hidden away by a thick layer of smog. It was another regular day. For the most part.

"Ashley! Get in here!"

The witch gave an annoyed sigh before heading towards her boss' office. What could Wario possibly want with her? She hadn't done anything wrong recently. Well, other than almost destroy the world, but that was minor. Whatever the fat man wanted, Ashley was for certain that she wasn't going to like it.

"What do you want, Wario?" the little girl asked when she finally entered the office. The man was hunched over his desk, an angry look on his face. Oh, wait, that's just how his face looks. Sorry.

"Sit down," he ordered. Ashley did as she was told, though her annoyed look remained. Wario scoffed and tried to ignore it. "A new employee was supposed to start work yesterday," he continued, "but she never showed up."

"What do I care?" Ashley asked with a raised eyebrow.

"One less worker means less money to be made."

"Again, my problem how?"

"I want you to go to her apartment and force the slacker to come here."

At this, Ashley rose out of her chair, outraged at what she just heard. "I will do nothing of the sort!" she protested. Wario rested his gloved hands on his desk with a collective calmness. "Oh, I think you will," he said; "Let's not forget what you almost did not too long ago. Remember, you're still on probation."

Ashley sank back into her chair, an expression of genuine regret on her face. "I'm already working for no pay. This isn't fair," she stated in a more reserved tone. Wario would hear nothing of it, however. He gave the witch the address of the missing worker and sent her off. When she was gone, he lit a cigar and started counting his money, chuckling at his control over the child.

Not too long after, the little girl found herself at the apartment of the worker in question. She knocked on the door and called out. She received no answer. After a few more attempts, Ashley decided she should go inside. She opened the door with a small burst of magic and quietly made her way in. All was pitch black in the apartment. It was a good thing Ashley could see in the dark, otherwise she'd have been hopeless.

The witch found the light switch and flipped it on. The room lit up immediately, forcing Ashley to quickly adjust her eyes. "Hello? Is anyone here?" she called out. She still received no answer. The child concluded that no one was home. She was about to leave when her nose started twitching. Ashley turned around and stared at the floor. She examined it closely, eventually concluding that traces of magic were used in this apartment recently. From what she knew about the worker, Ashley did not believe she was responsible for it. This was most puzzling.

Ashley stood up and stared straight ahead. "You might as well show yourself," she said; "I sensed you the moment I walked in."

"My, what a smart little girl," a voice said from behind her. Dimentio stepped out of the shadows, closing the door as he did. Ashley turned to face the intruder. She didn't seem impressed by what she saw. "So, you're Dimentio," she said.

"Oh, have I become a household name already. I can cross that off of my bucket list," the jester jested.

"And the girl who lives here?"

"Mimi? Why, she's with me, of course."

Ashley stared directly into the epicenter of the villain's face. She could sense a dark power far greater than her own. He was indeed a demented soul, but that just might've been his cheap cologne.

"I suppose you're trying to fulfill the prophecy stated in the Dark Prognosticus, am I right?" the child asked. Dimentio's eyes widened in shock. "How do you-"

"Simple, really. I've read it."

Dimentio was silent for a second, but soon started laughing. "A child like you… reading the Dark Prognosticus? I highly doubt it."

Ashley was slightly offended by the remark. She did not show it on her face, though, and instead of getting mad, she proved herself. "The book makes quite a few references to a specific person," she stated; "You seem to fit his description. Makes me wonder if you had a hand in its creation."

Dimentio's smile grew. "You could say I was there when it was written, yes," he returned. "So you've read the Dark Prognosticus. Then you know why I'm here. You would make an excellent addition to our little organization."

"Not interested," the witch instantly returned.

"Oh, but you are, my dear. I've heard things about you. Playing mind games, betraying your allies, nearly destroying all that stood in your way. That is quite the résumé. I can give you what you truly desire, child. You want to cleanse this world of its impurities; I wish to do the same. Like the tornado and the hurricane, our paths were destined to cross. Join me, and together we can rid this world of its imperfections and create the perfect world."

Dimentio offered his hand to her. Ashley looked away, deep in thought. The shadows hid her eyes away from the jester, which prevented him from telling what was on her mind. If he could get but a mere glimpse of what the child was remembering, the man would without a doubt double over in pain.

"No," Ashley finally answered.

"What was that?" Dimentio asked, all traces of cheerfulness in his voice now non-existent.

"I will not join you. You are right, however. I hate this world with every fiber of my being. One day, it will perish for its crimes. But it will not be done with your hands. I know exactly what you intend on doing, and it sickens me. Our views of a perfect society are completely different, yours being the inferior of the two. This world is full of crime and injustice, hate and deceit. People are naturally selfish and will kill each other to achieve frivolous rewards like money or power. That and that alone is why this world must be destroyed. What you want embodies everything I despise, and I will not stand for it. In other words, thanks, but no thanks."

The two stood there in silence for what seemed an eternity. Dimentio seemed to be glaring at the witch, but it was hard to tell with that mask. He finally smiled and broke the silence. "Of course, you realize, this means I have to kill you," he stated matter-of-factly. And with that, he shot a magic bolt straight at Ashley. The witch quickly parried by using a blast of her own. Dimentio tilted his head in surprise. He wasn't expecting such a young child to be so powerful.

"I wasn't expecting such a young child to be so powerful," he said. His smile then grew wider. "It's a good thing I have a backup plan."

Out of nowhere, the jester pulled out a small creature with crimson skin. He held it up for Ashley to see. The being was bruised and badly beaten, conveying the worst to the young witch. "H-hiya, Ashley," Red weakly greeted; "I tried to stop him. Honest, I did."

Ashley's eye twitched slightly upon the sight. Dimentio saw this and laughed under his breath. "Where did you get him?" the little girl asked in a half whisper.

"A good magician never reveals his secrets, my dear," the madman taunted; "I can easily kill him, you know. It would only take a snap of my fingers. Just…like…this-"

"Wait!" Ashley interrupted. Her legs became weak all of a sudden and she fell to the floor. "I'll join you," she uttered in defeat.

"And have you betray me later when my guard is down? Sorry, child, but the offer's off the table. No, instead I want you to listen carefully. You will not interfere with my plans. You'll keep your mouth shut about the whole thing, telling no one. You'll pretend this never happened and continue on with your life. And if you even think about ignoring this warning, your friend is as good as dead. Understood?"

Ashley was silent. All she could do was nod her head. This pleased her attacker, who began to leave. He opened the door, but stopped himself short.

"I could kill you right now," he said over his shoulder, "but I want you alive for when everything comes together."

With that, the magician left, taking the hostage with him. Ashley sat there for a moment, then got up and left the apartment. She calmly returned to WarioWare, Inc. and got back to work, pretending that everything was going to be alright when in her heart she knew it would not.


	17. Chapter 17

Daisy spent countless evenings in the presence of Mr. L Each time together would start to get longer and longer, until the princess did nothing but hang out with the Green Thunder. No one at Toadstool Castle knew what Daisy was doing, assuming she was just walking around Toad Town. And she actually would every now and then. She just wasn't alone.

One day, the princess and Mr. L were sitting under a tree in an attempt to avoid the heat of the day. Normally, the two would just play various sports, but this day was too hot for that. Daisy slumped over, bored out of her mind. She wasn't used to doing nothing and sitting there doing just that was very annoying. She looked over at Mr. L, who had appeared to have fallen asleep. The princess sighed. Oh, what a humdrum day!

"Somethin' bothering you, princess," Mr. L asked, startling Daisy. The princess shrieked and fell over onto the grass. She composed herself and sat up, seeing her friend laughing at her misfortune. Daisy blushed, something she doesn't do very often. "I didn't know you were awake," she admitted.

Mr. L shrugged. "You still haven't answered me," he stated.

"I'm just bored, is all," Daisy answered. The Green Thunder thought a moment, then smiled. He stood up, brushed his pants, and offered his hand to the princess. "Well, we can fix that," he said in a sly tone. Daisy immediately took his hand and stood up. "What did you have in mind?" she asked, prompting Mr. L's smile to become more coy.

"You'll see," was all he said.

Shortly after, the two were sitting on top of a building in Toad Town. Mr. L still had not told Daisy what he was planning, but the flower princess was just glad to be doing something. The man looked down at the pedestrians on the ground. He smiled. What was he up to?

The Green Thunder then pulled out a box of water balloons out of nowhere. "What are you doing?" Daisy asked. Mr. L did not answer, but rather demonstrated. He grabbed one balloon and, with all of his strength, chucked it at an unsuspecting Noki, knocking her to the ground in a blast of water. "What the?!" the Noki shrieked in confusion. She looked around as others came to help her. Mr. L couldn't help himself and busted out laughing. Daisy, however, was not as amused.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded.

"Because I thought it'd be funny. And it was," Mr. L replied.

"But you could've hurt-"

"Just shut your trap and throw one, would ya?"

Mr. L offered a water balloon to the princess. Daisy reluctantly took the it, putting a smile on the man's face . She looked down at the people walking this way and that. All of them were just minding their own business, and yet one of them was about to be punished for it. Was Daisy really willing to do this?

Yes, yes she was.

The flower princess threw the balloon at a nearby Pianta. The watery explosion caused the leaves on his head to droop considerably. Water must have gotten into his eyes, because he started stumble around until he crashed into a light post. Daisy was at first appalled by the sight, but soon found herself laughing at it. To the princess' surprise, the pain of that Pianta was really amusing.

"See, I told ya it'd be fun," Mr. L assured as he threw another few balloons. Daisy reached into the box and grabbed two more. One was slightly heavier than the other, but she didn't pay much mind to it. She threw the lighter one at a police officer. Bullseye. The princess laughed as the cop looked around in confusion. She looked around for another target. There. That Toad coming by. He looked helpless enough. Daisy threw the balloon with great force. Only after she did so that she recognized the victim by his blue vest and the red spots on his mushroom cap.

The balloon collided with Toad's face, knocking him to the ground. Instead of water, however, motor oil covered his body.

Daisy gasped at the sight, but was still having too much fun to remain focused. She couldn't help but laugh harder than ever. Still on the ground, Toad looked around in a combination of confusion, anger, and pain. "Who threw that?! Well?! Show yourself!" he shouted out, trying to hold back tears in a failing attempt to keep his tough composure. By now a large crowd had gathered, some helping Toad back to his feet. It wasn't too long before a policeman heard Daisy and Mr. L laughing and looked in their direction. "Up there!" he declared. The crowd looked to where he was pointing. The two perpetrators ducked down.

"Time to go!" Mr. L said before running off, leaving Daisy by herself. The flower princess looked around nervously. She had no choice but to run away from the angry mob.

Toad looked up at the building. Who was that person? She looked familiar. That dress; that yellow dress, along with that crown. Then it hit him.

"Princess?" he muttered in utter shock.


	18. Chapter 18

Daisy stumbled back to Toadstool Castle uneasily. In her escape, she broke a heal and tore the bottom of her dress slightly, causing her steps to be very unbalanced. Any onlooker could swear she was intoxicated. Her appearance only confirmed that thought. But she was happy, and that's all that matters. Right?

The flower princess stepped inside the palace, trying not to make noise so she could sneak to her room without anyone noticing. This plan was not going to work, and Princess Peach was standing right in front of her, her face serious in expression. Daisy merely chuckled at this.

"Hiya, Peach! How's it going?" she asked, trying to sound innocent. Peach crossed her arms, not saying a word. "Something the matter?" Daisy questioned.

"You know very well what's wrong, Daisy," Peach returned in a cold tone.

"Um… Mario didn't save you from Bowser?"

"Toad told me what happened to him today."

Daisy froze at this. Toad had recognized her. This was not good. This was definitely NOT good. Okay. All Daisy had to do was stay calm, and everything would be alright.

"Oh?" the flower princess asked, sounding like a small child. This only angered Peach even more. "Is that all you have to say about this, Daisy? You hit him with a balloon full of motor oil, for goodness sakes!" the Mushroom Princess argued.

"I didn't hit him that hard."

"He fell off the curb!"

"He's always been kinda clumsy."

Peach grabbed Daisy's shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. Something was different. Something was wrong with her friend. "Daisy, this isn't like you. Why would you do this?" she asked. Daisy merely shrugged before brushing Peach's hands off her shoulders. The flower princess marched off to the stairs and started to ascend. "Daisy!" Peach called out, forcing the one in question to stop. She stood there silently for the longest time, the tension escalating. Daisy finally turned around, a grave expression consuming her facial features.

"I was just trying to have fun, alright?" she started. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone. It was just harmless fun. And I didn't know the balloon was filled with motor oil. He didn't say-"

"Who didn't say?"

Daisy stopped. She still hadn't told anyone about Mr. L and the afternoons they spent together. Was now the right time? The woman opened her mouth, ready to speak. Then she hesitated.

"Daisy? Who were you with today?" Peach asked more gingerly than earlier.

"N-no one. I was by myself today. I just bought those balloons from a random Koopa. Bad deal, I guess. Heh, heh."

Now was not the right time.

Peach looked away for a second. Likewise, Daisy looked away, but in shame. "Is that the story you're going with?" the Mushroom Princess interrogated. Daisy nodded in a manner that suggested innocence. Peach sighed. "Alright then, Daisy, I'll see you later." And with that, the ruler left for another room.

Daisy headed upstairs. She rushed into her room, locked the door, a sighed in relief. Dodged a bullet there.

* * *

"The time draws near, Mr. L. It is only a matter of time before the Orb will be ready for use."

"Big whoop."

Mr. L twirled his finger in the air sarcastically. Dimentio ignored the lack of enthusiasm; he opted instead to continue working. The jester approached the Crown Orb with delicate care. He waved his hands around it, as if trying to summon spirits. He could feel the energy; all that power at his fingertips.

"Yes. Its magical strength is growing like a stubborn weed. Just a week or two. We must have patience," the devious demon stated, targeting the last part to the green woman standing in the corner. As "fascinating" as this was, however, Mr. L couldn't care less. His mind started wandering to far more pressing matters.

"Mr. L? L!" Dimentio called out. The Green Thunder snapped out of his state. "What?!" he asked with slight annoyance. This surprised the jester, but in an amusing way. "What's the matter, Mr. L? Can you not stop thinking about your mate?" he sneered.

"She ain't my mate! Not yet, at least," Mr. L defensively replied, the last part being under his breath.

"Well, focus. I have not seen you make any progress in killing the man in red."

"These things take time, Dimentio. You can't rush art."

"Indeed, you cannot," the leader agreed with a smirk. "And there is no artist more skilled than you. I must do some more reading now, so please, neither of you two bother me."

The villain then summoned his door and entered, it disappearing the moment he did. Mr. L scoffed at his so-called leader. Dimentio never did anything. All he did every day was go read, for Pete's sake!

The man's thoughts were interrupted when Mimi approached him. "That princess is a good girl," she said in a manner that implied warning; "Of all the things you do, Mr. L, don't hurt her."

The Green Thunder was confused by this. His confusion soon turned into annoyance, though. "I'd like you to stay out of my business, Mimi. It ain't none of yours!" he retorted. The changeling merely shook her head.

"I know what it's like to get hurt by someone close. It isn't a good feeling. Please, Mr. L. She's so happy and full of life. She doesn't deserve this."

At that very moment, a flood of memories overtook the Green Thunder's mind. Images of Daisy winning a tennis trophy. Of her playing baseball, getting frustrated after she lost. Of her coming in third at a recent race. And finally, of her at the Royal Ball. Mr. L winced in pain as he grabbed his head to make it stop. What was happening?

The man eventually shook it off. Mimi was still there, unaware of what just happened to her teammate. Mr. L regained his composure, brushed some dust off his shoulder, and shoved Mimi aside. "Like I said, what I do or don't do with that princess is none of your concern," was all he said before disappearing from sight.


	19. Chapter 19

The next day, Daisy went for a walk in Toad Town. It was nice at first, but then she noticed something. The townspeople seemed to be watching her, whispering to each other. Were they gossiping about her? Had they realized it was her throwing balloons yesterday?

The woman waved away these thoughts. If they did indeed know, there was nothing she could do about it. As a matter of fact, she didn't want to do anything about it anyway. She didn't care what they thought about her. It was none of their business, at any rate.

Daisy finally entered a small park located just a little outside Toad Town. Not too many people were there that day, which was just fine by the princess. She wanted peace and quiet. She sat down on a bench and looked at the clouds in the sky. That one looked like a crown, albeit a broken one. That one a witch riding her broom. And that one was a dragon.

"Hello, princess."

Daisy was startled by Mr. L's sudden appearance. She nearly fell off the bench. Composing herself, she looked at the man and remembered the fun they had the day before. Wait a minute. He _ditched_ her the day before! Daisy's blood started boiling as she remembered this.

"What's up with you, huh?" Mr. L asked, noticing the princess' angered expression.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me?! You left me alone yesterday in front of all those people, that's what's wrong!"

"Oh, right."

"I almost got in trouble because of you!"

Mr. L shrugged his shoulders, leaned back on the bench, and closed his eyes. "You're welcome," he coolly said.

"I'm not thanking you, you creep!" Daisy snapped, horribly annoyed at the man's calmness.

"You had fun, didn't you?"

"Well… yeah, but that's not-"

"Then you're welcome. Look, sweetheart, you can't deny how exciting the threat of being caught is. Your heart races, your pulse increases. Adrenaline pumps and fear rises. And it's a riot. So answer me this, Miss, did you find the threat to be fun?"

The Green Thunder looked at Daisy with his cool, grey eyes. The princess didn't answer at first. She stuttered for a moment or two, trying to find the right words to reject his idea. But she just couldn't. She'd be lying if she did. She finally gave Mr. L the answer he was looking for, putting a deadly grin on his face.

"Good," he said in an almost threatening manner; "Then we can have much more fun."

Many hours later, Daisy was waiting under the moonlight next to a street light. Mr. L had instructed the woman to meet at this spot at this time. And he was late. The night winds were unrelenting on Daisy's skin, causing her to shiver slightly. Daisy checked her watch. That man had better have a very good reason for this delay.

"That's it, I'm leaving," the flower princess declared after an hour of waiting.

"Oh, but you'll miss all the fun," a voice said from behind her.

Mr. L stepped out of the shadows, two large bags in his fist. Daisy jumped slightly, then punched the man's arm. "Stop doing that!" she ordered. The Green Thunder chuckled, then handed her a bag. "What's this for?" she asked.

"You'll see," was all the man said.

The two walked a few blocks until they were mere inches away from the First Bank of Toad Town. Upon seeing the building, Daisy immediately knew what Mr. L was planning. "We are _not_ robbing the bank!" she protested. Mr. L rolled his eyes. "Quiet, toots, or you'll give us away!" he whispered. He tried to get started, but Daisy grabbed him by the wrist, her grip excruciatingly tight. Mr. L looked at the woman, half puzzled, half angered. He pulled out his switchblade and let the knife shine in the moonlight. "Let go of me," he ordered. The princess obeyed.

"Now then, if you're done fooling around, maybe we can get started," the crook said.

"No way! You can't make me-"

"Look, I just want you to keep watch. Warn me if anyone's coming. You don't have to do anything else."

"Oh, no, you don't. I'm not helping you!"

Mr. L sighed in frustration. "Fine," he said bitterly. With that, he rushed off for the roof of the bank. Daisy tried to stop him, but he was too fast. The princess stood there anxiously, not sure what she should do.

The Green Thunder lowered himself with a rope onto the bank's floor. He looked around. No guards and only one camera. What lousy security. Mr. L pulled a can of spray paint out of his pocket, approached the camera, and sprayed the lens. "Perfect," he said to himself as he approached the vault. The criminal put his ear on the door as he fumbled with the lock. No use. The combination was far too sophisticated for him to solve by ear. A situation like this called for one thing. Mr. L laughed with pride as he pulled a hair pin out of his pocket.

Back outside, Daisy was pacing back and forth. What was taking that man so long? Then she heard a noise. An alarm, coming from the bank. The princess hid in the shadows as a police car arrived on the scene.

Mr. L cursed under his breath. Apparently the security was tighter than he thought, seeing as he just tripped on a wire rigged to the alarm. The Green Thunder got back on his feet. Hastily, he stuffed handfuls of coins into his bag. He heard footsteps entering the bank. Although he hated to leave a job unfinished, Mr. L had no choice but to abandon his mission. He was about to leave, but then something happened. Memories once again overtook Mr. L's mind. Unrelenting visions of happy times bashed his brain. The Green Thunder dropped to his knees. His eyes flashed from grey to blue. Grey to blue. Grey, blue, grey, blue, grey, blue, grey…

"What's happening to me?!" the robber moaned in pain.

Outside the vault, two cops were getting closer and closer to the intruder. They approached with caution, unaware of what they were up against. They heard Mr. L's cries of pain. The ghastly howling pierced the silence with fluid precision. The police, though unwilling to admit it, were frightened.

The two cops stopped. "Okay, I'll go in first. You wait here in case he gets past me," one instructed. The other nodded. The first was about to go in, but he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and was instantly greeted by a raging fist, knocking him out.

"What the-?!" the other policeman yelped before he met the same fate as the first. The attacker then dragged the two cops and sat them against the wall. Mr. L crawled out of the vault, his skin rather pale. He studied the scene and soon realized that the police had been taken care of. But how?

As if reading his mind, the attacker approached the villain, revealing herself to be none other than Princess Daisy. "Come on, let's go!" she said in a hushed tone. The woman helped Mr. L to his feet and together they escaped to a rooftop a few blocks away. Mr. L was panting, but he appeared to be unharmed. He looked into his bag, unsatisfied with his take.

"I could've gotten twice as much," he grumbled to himself.

"You could've gotten caught, or even hurt," Daisy returned.

"Aw, I didn't know you cared."

"Of course I care, you dummy! You're my friend, and if anything happened to you, I'd… I'd…"

"You'd what?" Mr. L asked, raising an eyebrow. A pause.

"I'd never forgive myself," Daisy finally answered.

"Well, you sure are good to your friends."

"Yeah, I guess."

The two sat there awkwardly for a while. Then, out of nowhere, Daisy slapped Mr. L across the face. He fell over from the hit. Daisy panted as the man sat back up, rubbing his face.

"I deserved that," he stated.

"No, but you deserve this."

The princess then grabbed Mr. L by the collar and pulled him into a kiss. When she finally backed off, the man smiled.

"Well, it took you long enough."


	20. Chapter 20

The dimension was dark, the green now vanished into black holes. A single candle was the only source of light for miles on end. The silence. It spoke louder than any commands could ever, and with twice the ferocity. Everything needed to be perfect.

Dimentio approached the Crown Orb, his mask showing no signs of emotion whatsoever. Gracefully he waved his bony fingers around the magical item, sensing its power. Removing his hands from view, the jester smiled wider than he ever did before. It was anything but comforting.

"The time draws nigh," he said at last; "Like a powerful sneeze, I will soon make my presence known. Then everything will return to perfection. Splendid, don't you think?"

He addressed this question to Mimi, who cowered next to him in less threatening silence. "Depends on your definition of perfection," she answered with a slight sneer. Once the job was complete, the changeling planned on washing her hands of the whole thing and finally moving on with her life. Dimentio thought otherwise.

"My dearest Mimi, your lack of enthusiasm displeases me."

With that he slapped her across the face, making sure the girl got his message. She rose without another word, remembering her place once again.

Neither of the two said anything more of the subject. Instead, Dimentio summoned his dark book in front of him, allowing Mimi to get a close look at it for the first time. Her eyes bulged the moment she did. She recognized the piece of literature all too well.

"How did you get the Dark Prognosticus?" she asked in grim severity. Dimentio barely looked at his assistant from the corner of his eye (a hard thing to do, considering he had no pupils) and chuckled. "None of your concern, Mimikins. What matters is that I have it, and I'm doing as foretold."

He flipped the book open, skimming through the pages. Once he reached the middle, he carefully turned each page one by one. Whatever the jester was looking for, he couldn't afford to miss it. He eventually found the desired section and began reading under his breath. When he finished, Dimentio looked up. Mimi looked at the horrifying expression on her master's face. She had never seen it before; pray you never see it in your life. What she saw was so disturbing, so unexpected, that I so wish that I didn't have to write it. But you need to know, so here goes…

Dimentio was frowning.

The jester shut the book with a loud slam and made it vanish into thin air. Whatever he had just read, it must've put a wrench in his plans. Mimi was too frightened to ask what the problem was. She just waited until Dimentio decided to speak. When that moment finally came, he did so with the smallest smile he could manage. That smile would grow as he spoke, turning into one of genuine delight.

"It seems I have missed something in my planning. How dreadful. You see, Mimi, though the Crown Orb's magic is rather potent, it is still not enough to accomplish what I'm after."

"How so?" Mimi dared to ask.

"I knew it would be no easy feat. And yet I still underestimated the task like a kindergartener with a yoyo. I knew I needed to put in some of my own magic. I knew I needed sacrifices, too."

"Sacrifices?!"

"Don't worry, Mimikins, I already found some. I won't be sacrificing you yet. What I overlooked, my dear, was the fact that I needed a host."

This is about the time where Dimentio's smiled grew into a genuine one. He turned his wicked expression of content to face Mimi, who cowered in its glow.

"But I know just where to get one."

* * *

Ashley sat at her desk, thinking. Ever since her encounter with the legendary jester, the little girl had been pondering a way to save Red. It can be inferred that she had no such luck. Every idea she had seemed to include a weakness or two that could be easily exploited. At this rate, the witch would never be able to save her assistant.

"I have to be overlooking something, but what?" she asked herself as she chewed the eraser of her pencil. "Perhaps I could summon an army of possessed teddy bears that can… No, he'll tear them to shreds. Wait, I could make his pants not fit… No, they're already baggy as is."

The witch worked late into the night, even as it became dark and stormy. She concocted potions and tried to perfect spells she prayed would work on Dimentio. She was about ready to give up and go to bed. Face it, there was no way she could beat him.

DING! DONG!

Ashley fell out of her seat as the doorbell sounded. She never really liked that thing and was considering getting it replaced with a much softer one. Putting that thought aside, the little girl went downstairs.

DING! DONG!

She fell off her feet again as the second bell shook the entire house. "I'm coming already!" she hollered while regaining her balance. Brushing her night robe off, Ashley finally made it to the front doors. Slowly they creaked open, revealing the visitor's dark silhouette, emphasized with bouts of thunder. Ashley's eyes widened upon getting sight of the person.

There, wearing a straw hat and a Hawaiian shirt, was none other than Red, a big smile on his face.

"Hiya, Ashley! Did you miss me?"

"Red!" the witch cheered as she pulled the little demon into an embrace, nearly suffocating him. When she finally let go, Red looked at her in confusion and fright.

"Ashley, are you okay?" he asked slowly, as if the witch wasn't fully there at the moment. You would feel the same way too if the girl who abused you on a daily basis suddenly hugged you.

Regaining her cool demeanor, Ashley suddenly noticed Red's strange attire. "Where were you?" she asked.

"Isle Delfino. I won a trip. Didn't you know that?"

"But I thought you were captured and being tortured."

"Trust me, the only torture was the line at the snack hut on the beach. I mean, sheesh!"

Ashley didn't understand. If Red wasn't in harm, then what did she see those many days back? Did she even actually see anything? The questions rattled in her brain like a rattling rattle that won't stop its rat-a-tat rattlation.

Soon the two were sitting in front of the fireplace, a cup of hot cocoa in each of their grasps. Red drank his almost instantly, while Ashley sat there motionless, waiting for her assistant to answer the question she had just asked.

Red finally finished his drink, sighing in satisfaction, followed by his response. "I was sitting here in the lounge, waiting for you to get home from work, when there was a knock at the door. I answered it, and it was two weird-looking guys, a man and a girl. The man told me that I won an all-expense paid trip starting that very day. The woman didn't say anything, really. After I packed, he somehow teleported me to the Islands, where I relaxed for a good long while. You shoulda been there, you would've…" He stopped himself, realizing that Ashley and fun were polar opposites. "Never mind," he finished lamely.

Ashley considered everything she heard. She looked at the cocoa in her hand, then back at Red. "If that's the case, why didn't you leave a note as to where you went?" she asked.

"The guy said he'd leave one because the offer was about to expire and I didn't have time to."

"This man… What did he look like?"

"You're never gonna believe this. The guy was dressed as a jester. Crazy, right?"

Ashley dug deep into her knowledge of Count Bleck's minions before she continued her questions. "The woman with him. Was she…green?"

"How'd you know?"

That was the last piece she needed. So Dimentio tricked her with the help of a shape shifter? The little girl's fury doubled in sized. She put her cup on a small table and started to stomp away.

"Where're you going?" Red asked, simultaneously eyeing the cup of cocoa on the table. Ashley looked back with a glare that could challenge Dimentio's own.

"I've got work to do."


	21. Chapter 21

The day had finally come. All those weeks of planning had led to this. Nothing could stop it now. That's right, it was the night of the masquerade ball at Toadstool Castle. What, did you forget all about it?

Daisy was in her room, looking in her closet to find the right outfit for the night's festivities. She was interrupted when Princess Peach knocked on the door. Daisy let her in, preparing herself for the storm of giddiness coming at her.

"Are you ready for tonight, Daisy?" Peach asked with genuine excitement. Ever since the balloon incident, the Mushroom Princess showed no signs of being mad at Daisy. It was as if she had forgotten. That, or Peach really didn't want to lose her friend.

"I still gotta find a dress, but other than that, I guess I'm good," Daisy answered with a slight chuckle. Peach sat down on the bed, watching as the flower princess looked from one outfit to another. Was this one right? No, she didn't have shoes to match. How about this one? No, that went out of style last season. Decisions, decisions.

After an eternity of looking through clothes, Peach groaned in boredom (and if she gets bored of clothes, you know that means something). "Why is this such a hard decision, Daisy?" she asked as she stood up; "You never took so long to pick out a dress before. You usually just take whatever you grab first."

Daisy rolled her eyes at the question. "I just wanna look good, is all. Sheesh, is that so bad?" she responded with slight annoyance. A smug grin crawled onto Peach's face, successfully creeping out the flower princess. "What's with the look?" Daisy asked, slightly scared.

"You have a date, don't you, Daisy?" Peach asked through her devilish smile.

Daisy was taken back by the question. She fell into her closet, knocking a few outfits on top of her. "A date?! Don't be ridiculous, Peach!" she replied as she exploded out of the pile. Daisy couldn't fool her friend, however. Peach started squealing with delight, knowing she was right about Daisy.

"Come on, Daisy! You can't fool me. You have a date, no doubt about it," the Mushroom Princess declared as she crossed her arms. Daisy couldn't deny it any longer. She admitted to it, her face red as a cherry all the while. Peach squealed in a way that only dogs would hear. "This is great! I'm very happy for you!"

"Yeah, well, you know," Daisy replied as she scratched the back of her head.

"This'll be so much fun! Me and Mario, you and Luigi! I can't wai-"

"I didn't say my date was Luigi."

Princess Peach's happiness drained almost immediately. She stopped bouncing on the bed and stared blankly at the other princess. "What?" she asked in a whisper.

"I said Luigi is not my date."

"But you two are meant to be! I remember when you two met. There was a spark; I could tell!"

"Peach, Luigi is a nice guy and all, but we're just friends. That's all we'll ever be."

Peach stood up, looking slightly hurt. It made Daisy wonder what the Mushroom Princess cared for about her and Luigi. It was disturbing her. It needed to stop.

"Well, then, Daisy," Peach continued, "if you're not going to the ball with Luigi, who is accompanying you?"

Daisy stopped dead in her tracks. In all this time, she still hadn't told anyone of Mr. L. Truth was, she _didn't_ want to tell anyone. It wasn't any of there business, anyway. But now she was trapped in a corner.

"Um, you'll see," the flower princess replied nervously. Peach tilted her head in confusion at the response, but apparently accepted it, judging by how she didn't ask again.

Daisy continued looking for an outfit in silence. Peach didn't leave, but she also didn't offer conversation; she merely sat there, watching Daisy. The flower princess finally emerged with the black dress she wore on hers and Mr. L's first date. It was perfect. Now all she needed was a mask…

"I wonder where Luigi's been, now that I think about it. I haven't seen him in forever."

That was it. The final straw. The camel's back had been broken. You could almost see them steam burst out of Daisy's ears. She slowly turned to face Peach, a glare stamped onto her face. Daisy dropped the black dress to the ground and clenched her fists and grinded her teeth.

"I haven't seen Luigi," she started slowly; "I don't know where he is. And you know what? I don't care where he is! As far as I'm concerned, Luigi can drop in a hole and rot there, and I wouldn't care!"

Peach couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did Daisy really just…? No, it couldn't be. But she did. Something about her was different, horribly different, and Peach couldn't do anything to fix it.

The Mushroom Princess stood up. She walked towards the door, never saying a word. She finally reached the doorway and stopped. She looked over her shoulder, never turning her head, and asked "What happened to the Daisy I used to know?"

"She's long gone, Peach. Dead and gone."

Peach shook her head and like that, she was gone. Daisy stood there in fury for a good long while before she realized exactly what had happened. She began panting as her head started spinning. She collapsed to the floor, the guilt eating her alive. Daisy crawled to her closet and looked at herself in the mirror, her mascara running through tears, turning her into a raccoon.

"What's happened to me?"


	22. Chapter 22

The guests came in a line, marching in unison two by two. Their feet trudged up to the palace gates, barely rising from the ground. The men's feet were heavier and caused a large thump every time a step was taken. The jewelry shackled to the women rattled and clanked in the dark silence. Not a word was said. The palace guards followed close behind, locking the gates after everyone was accounted for.

It was going to be a great party.

Toadsworth stood at the door and greeted each guest as they came in. He wore his finest suit and a red mask that his eyes away. It was impossible to tell what he was really thinking, but the way he greeted everyone suggested he was in a good mood.

After all the guests entered the ballroom, everything went as scheduled. People mingled while their identities remained secret, for the most part. Toad managed the punch bowl, giving out drinks with a smile. His mask was blank and covered his entire face. If it weren't for his happy-go-lucky demeanor, no one would have known it was him.

Princess Peach stood at the stairs, observing all her guests. She wore an elegant red dress with a black eye mask. Despite her radiant beauty, none of the attendants paid her any mind. They were too busy having fun, which pleased the princess. It was always a pleasure to know she had done right by her people.

Soon the Mushroom Princess was joined by her escort for the night, a certain man in red. The two of them joined the crowd to socialize, passing up Daisy without ever noticing. She was sitting on the stairs, waiting. By now she had grown accustomed to the man in mind being late. That being said, that didn't mean she liked it. No, Daisy was getting more and more anxious as time went by. Soon an hour past and he still hadn't shown up. Daisy could've sworn it was a bad joke.

As if to answer her, a gloved hand plopped down on Daisy's shoulder. The flower princess looked up, finally getting to end the wait. The man who stood before her wore a long white cape which hid away his vested torso. On his head he wore a white top hat that concealed his mangy hair. His face was adorned with a white eye mask, but it could not hide those haunting grey eyes of his.

Mr. L had arrived.

"Took you long enough," Daisy nagged as she stood up from the stairs. Mr. L offered his arm for her to take. She begrudgingly did so, but was actually quite glad that she didn't have to be alone anymore.

"It takes a while to look this good," her escort replied with a devious smile. Daisy smiled back, instantly forgiving him. The two entered the sea of people with a certain confidence. The crowd watched and whispered. Who was that man with Daisy? None of them had seen him before, and soon the couple became the talk of the party.

This commotion did not go unnoticed by Peach, despite her efforts to ignore it. She left her date for a moment and cautiously approached the center of attention. Daisy and Mr. L turned to leave, not noticing the Mushroom Princess coming their way. Peach looked at the man's attire and scratched her head in confusion. There was something very familiar with this man, the way he dressed, the way he moved, but she couldn't put her finger about it. Why did she feel like she knew him?

"Daisy, who is this-?" Peach started. She cut herself off as the couple turned to face her. The chill that went down Peach's spine as her eyes met the man's is quite indescribable. She knew those grey eyes. They were filled with emptiness and screamed whispers. But the princess couldn't figure out where she had seen them before.

"Oh, um, Peach," Daisy replied after an awkward moment; "This is my date. His name is-"

"Please, Miss Daisy, we must journey to the punch bowl before the drinks are all gone. Let's go."

Mr. L quickly pulled Daisy away and led her to the punch bowl. He couldn't afford for anyone to discover him, especially the lady who owned the place. The two approached the table in search of some refreshments.

"What'll it be, punch or punch?" Toad jokingly asked as he filled the ladle with the tangy beverage. He filled both cups and handed them to the couple. As the two began to leave, Mr. L felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to face the vendor once again, whose sly grin burned right through his mask. "Hey, Luigi, nice costume," he complimented. Mr. L rolled his eyes and snatched his cape with great force. "Thanks," he replied rather harshly.

The Green Thunder and Daisy started heading for a table. Mr. L looked around. There was definitely an abundance of guests in attendance. None of them really seemed that important, not even Peach herself. Then he spotted one guest in particular. There was nothing very special about her-she wore a solid blue gown and a full face mask with feathers on the side-but the man could see through the disguise. The woman didn't really do a fine job in hiding her green skin. Dimentio must've sent her to make sure his job was done. Just fine by him. Let her see.

The couple finally found a table and sat down. Mr. L looked around once again, taking note of the large crowd. "Quite the shindig, isn't it?" he asked Daisy.

"I guess," the princess answered lamely.

"Now what's bothering you, huh?"

"It's nothing."

"Is that so? I didn't want to hear about it anyways."

He leaned back in his chair, mere inches away from gravity taking over. Placing his hands behind his head, Mr. L closed his eyes and started humming. Daisy was annoyed by it at first, but then it started to grow on her. The hypnotizing melody made the princess forget about all of her troubles. It made her refocus all of her attention on the man sitting beside her, which was just how he wanted it.

They sat there at the table for hours, completely ignoring the entire party. They talked of sports, robberies, exciting adventures, and much more. Oh, and weather. They talked a LOT about weather.

Mr. L and Daisy were laughing when the gentleman noticed it. From across the room, Mr. L caught a glance of it. If he had been looking elsewhere for even a split second, he would've missed it. What he saw was what he was planning for all this time. Across the room, Mr. L noticed a flash of red, a part of a certain plumber's costume.

The Green Thunder rose immediately, quickly walking across the room with a dead glare on his face. "Wait, where are you going?" Daisy asked as her date got up. He ignored her, having finally spotted his target.

"Wait!"

The man in red exited the ballroom and started going down a hallway. Mr. L cracked his knuckles, ready for the kill.

"Please, stop!"

"Get lost, toots! I got work to do," Mr. L called back, finally holding his pursuer. He never slowed his step. He had a job to do, and he intended on doing so, no matter what cost. It was at this time that Daisy finally caught up to him. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him with great force.

"You are NOT leaving me alone again!"

Mr. L stopped. He lowered his head, so as his hat would hide his eyes in the shadow. He panted heavily. He was in a hurry, and the princess wasn't helping. Then, in a sudden flash, Mr. L turned around and slapped Daisy across the face. The force was enough to send the woman spiraling to the ground, completely stunned. The slap hit her first, the realization of what just happened rammed her immediately after.

Mr. L stood over the woman, looking bigger than he ever had before. By now the entire group of guests were staring at the two lovebirds, utterly shocked at what just happened. Whispers spread like wildfire. Mr. L looked around. The cowards. Not even brave enough to step forward and challenge him. The gentleman gave a bow to his adoring fans before continuing out of the room, leaving his date lying on the floor in confusion.

Peach came to the aid of Daisy when everyone else would just stare. "Daisy, are you alright?" she asked with true concern. She helped her friend up. Daisy just shook her head as she stared off into space.

"He's just mad, that's all. He'll calm down, then everything will be okay again. Everything will be just fine." she muttered through a whimpering tone.

Elsewhere, the man in question stomped down the hall, searching for his prey. He heard something. There, in that direction. On the balcony. The Green Thunder sprinted in that direction, an evil smirk across his face.

The doors to the balcony were wide open. A man was standing there, staring at the moonlight. One could only guess what possessed him to leave the party and make himself wide open for attack. Perhaps it was fate. Perhaps it was foretold. Who knows.

"My old friend, it's so good to see you again."

Mario turned around. Mr. L stood there, having shed his masquerade disguise in favor of his normal uniform. He got into a fight position. "I'm just here for a little…business," he croaked. Mario took a similar stance. The two stood there in the moonlight, each ready for battle. Mr. L smirked and pointed at his target.

"Have at you."


	23. Chapter 23

Mario made the first move and lunged for Mr. L. The Green Thunder smirked at this and merely jumped into the air, eventually crashing down on his victim. He then picked up the man in red and punched him twice across the face. Needless to say, Mario was in pain. Before another fist could make contact, the plumber kneed the attacker in the stomach, forcing him to back off. Mr. L hobbled around for a moment in true comedic fashion. By the time he regained his composure, the man in red was long gone.

Mr. L ran down the corridor, listening for any sound of his prey. Wait a minute… There. The Green Thunder dashed past a corner and found Mario running away. Mr. L picked up his speed until he was close enough to tackle Mario, which he did. "Running away from a fight? How disappointing," the attacker hissed. Mario then stood up, knocking Mr. L to the ground. Instead of fighting, however, the plumber continued to run. Mr. L sat up. Why was he running? It was then that the man realized that his opponent was trying to take the fight away from the party. Fine. Mr. L didn't care for them; the man in red was his one and only target.

Mario ran from hallway to hallway, desperately trying to find an escape. He stopped a moment to catch his breath, but only for a moment. Any longer and that madman would easily catch up. The plumber continued on his way until it happened. He turned a corner and came face to face with a wall. No other way out.

"Hit a dead end, have we?" Mr. L cooed from behind the man in red. Mario turned around, rather exhausted. The Green Thunder took a step closer and chuckled. Finally. Nothing could stop him now.

"Luigi, what the heck are you doin'?!"

Mr. L stopped. Toad was right behind him, his mouth agape. The little creature had witnessed the threat while on his way to gaze at the stars. He liked to do that, you know. Anyways, Mr. L was frozen dead in his tracks. Hearing that name again did something to him. Those memories were flooding back in his head. The Green Thunder slumped over in pain, allowing the man in red to run off again.

"Luigi, are you alright?" Toad asked, approaching the man. Mr. L shoved the mushroom man aside and rose from the ground. He didn't have time for this. The job needed to be done. The Green Thunder ran down the hall in search of the man in red.

"Luigi, wait!"

That lousy abomination was following after him, calling out that name. Mr. L had to clasp his head tightly in a futile attempt to stop the visions. It was somehow making him weaker.

The man eventually found himself back at the balcony. Mario was there as well. The plumber was tired, weak. Prime for the attack. "If you're done playing dumb games," Mr. L started, "then maybe we can get somewhere."

And with that, the Green Thunder uppercut his victim with such force, Mario went flying into the sky. The man in red let out a shrilling shriek as he blasted off, disappearing into a glimmer in the night.

Mr. L smiled, which in turn became a wicked sneer. The villain laughed with all his might. Finally. He got his revenge. The man in red was dead!

The Green Thunder stood on the railings of the balcony, laughing towards the heavens. "I did it!" he shouted, raising his fists into the air. "I did-"

"MR. L!"

"Whoa!"

Daisy was calling from below, having just seen the entire ordeal. Her shouting had startled the Green Thunder. He lost his balance and was starting to fall. It was at this time that Toad caught up. "Luigi!" he cried as he attempted to rescue the man. But he was too late. Gravity had won this battle, and Mr. L was plummeting to the ground before he had even realized it. With a loud THUD, the man made contact with the unforgiving land, passing out on impact.

"Get up. Get up, Mr. L!"

His eyes opened and closed. Open, closed. Open… Where-where was he? The man looked around. Toadstool Castle. How did Luigi get here?

Daisy lifted up the man by his collar. "Look, I'm sorry for upsetting you. Now let's get back to the party, alright?" she asked. A pause as she waited for a reply. Luigi was too dazed to say anything. This bothered the princess. "I said I was sorry, now come on! Please!"

The flower princess started shaking the plumber violently. The force was enough to make his mask loosen its grip on his face and fall to the ground, revealing the man's true identity. Daisy stopped and stared directly into the man's sky blue eyes. "L-Luigi?" she muttered under her breath. The plumber nodded in confusion. Both stood their in silence for almost an eternity. Then something snapped inside of Daisy. Her body tensed and her face grew warm. Anger was boiling up.

And then it happened. The flower princess slapped the plumber to the ground, then started crying. "Y-you jerk! How could you do this?! I thought w-we were friends… Why?!"

She turned around and cried into her gloved hands. Princess Peach appeared, following Toad. "Over here, princess," the mushroom man guided. The two approached the scene with caution. Toad had informed the princess of all that had happened. Peach needed to be careful in this situation.

"Daisy, are you alright?" she asked. Daisy did not answer, but rather pointed at Luigi as a response. Peach looked at the plumber and the outfit he was wearing, instantly realizing what had happened. "Oh, my," she said sincerely; "C-come inside. I think we need to talk."

The Mushroom Princess then led her friend back into the castle. Luigi sat there, still unsure of what was going on. All he knew was that Daisy was mad at him, mad enough to cry. Daisy never cries. Ever. This was bad.

Luigi's thoughts were interrupted when Toad said something. "Look what you've done," the mushroom man stated with a shake of the head before hobbling away, leaving Luigi alone in the garden.

The plumber sat up. Why was she yelling at him? He hurt Daisy, but how? What did he… Oh, no. On, no, no, no. Luigi remembered everything. It was as if someone else's memories were feeding into his mind. The past few days… Oh, the horrible things he had done!


	24. Chapter 24

She packed her suitcases with diligent care. When all was said and done, four cases were filled and ready for transport. No article of clothing was left in the closet; no object was missed.

Princess Daisy sat on the bed once the job was done. She still had time to spare before departure. Time she needed to clear her mind. Well, at least she thought she'd be able to, but soon there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," the flower princess called out. Princess Peach then entered the room, concern written on her face. "Hello, Daisy," she said softly, almost a whisper. Daisy greeted her with the same solemnity. Peach sat down next to her. They stayed like that for some time, neither saying a word.

"Look, Daisy," Peach broke the silence, "Are you sure you want this? It wasn't Luigi's fault."

After the incident at last night's masquerade ball, Peach had explained everything to Daisy about Mr. L, from his first creation to his final attack. Daisy understood that Luigi and the Green Thunder were two different people entirely. Still, she just couldn't bring herself to apologize to the plumber. Not after that.

"Yeah, this is best," the flower princess answered. "I've been away from home for so long. The people of Sarasaland probably think I ditched them."

They both snickered at this. This was indeed for the best. Some time away and maybe Daisy could swallow her pride and apologize to Luigi. All would be alright.

Peach stood up. "I'll let you finish up here," she stated before leaving the room. Daisy rose as well. She looked at the baron walls surrounding her. She'd miss this place, but she needed to do this. Daisy held onto this thought as she opened her window to get a good view of the castle grounds. It was so beautiful. That is, until she noticed a shadowy figure looking right back at her. Daisy did a double-take, and when she looked again, the person was out of sight. Curiouser and curiouser.

* * *

This was it. No hope. That was dead and buried. This was the end.

A man in green, standing over his bathroom sink. He hunched over, forcing his hat to create a shadow mask over his eyes. Daisy was leaving, heading back to Sarasaland. The Daisy Cruiser was set to take off in an hour, most likely not returning for a long, long time. She wouldn't even come to say goodbye.

Luigi weakly stared at his reflection. Did life make sense; was there some point to all this struggling? God, he wanted to puke. He was tired. He wanted to sleep, right there on the floor. He didn't deserve the luxury of a bed. Not after hurting Daisy.

While standing there, Luigi made a decision. He'd get back at her. She hurt him more than he hurt her. Why shouldn't he get revenge? When you think about it, he didn't do ANYTHING to her! And yet he's the one being punished? Oh, he'll get revenge, alright. He'll get…

Wait. What was Luigi thinking? He couldn't do that to Daisy. She was his friend. Why would he even think of that. Standing there, the plumber realized that he wasn't the one thinking it. A voice in his head _told_ him to do it. Someone was talking to him.

Luigi looked at his reflection, but something was different. The reflection was _glaring_ at him, as if it had a mind of its own. Luigi took a step back in fear. His reflection didn't move, but instead started speaking.

"You fool," it said in a gruff voice. "That babe wronged you. You have to get back at her. That's what I'd do."

The reflection lifted up a razor blade and grinned eerily. "That lousy chick needs to learn her place," it continued; "We gotta remind her who's in charge. And something tells me we'll have to do it…"

Here, the reflection held the knife to his own throat.

"…the hard way!"

Luigi screamed out in fear. He banged the mirror with his fists, shattering it on impact. The plumber panted. He could never, EVER hurt Daisy. She was his friend. No, she was more than that. And he was more than that to her. They were destined for each other, and Luigi wouldn't give her up without a fight! Running out of his house, the man dashed for Toadstool Castle.

* * *

All the castle's residents were present to bid farewell to the flower princess. All, that is, except for Princess Peach, who claimed she had important matters to attend to. Toadsworth knew the Mushroom Princess was no good with goodbyes, and thus understood her absence. Daisy knew this as well. She did wish, however, that her friend was there. Something about these people's goodbyes felt insincere, as if they were paid to be here.

The princess of Sarasaland boarded the boat in silence. She breathed in the sea air. It was a good day for a boat ride. Toads helped her with her luggage, gossiping all the while about the prior night's events. They were whispering, but Daisy heard them nonetheless. So many two-faced people in this world. The princess couldn't stand them.

Once everything was done, Daisy was ready to set sail. She waved goodbye to the crowd, promising to "See them soon!" The Cruiser started taking off. Its horn completely drowned out the desperate pleas of a certain green plumber.

Luigi was running at full speed, trying to make it in time. Come on, Luigi! Come on! Hey, you reading this! Help me cheer him on! Only your cheers can give Luigi the energy to make it. So cheer! Cheer harder, darn it! Don't you _want_ Luigi to reach them? That's it! Just a little-

Too late, the boat's too far into the water.

Luigi made it to the group of people. He panted as he watched the Daisy Cruiser sail away. There was nothing he could do about it. The plumber slumped over, completely heartbroken. What happened next, well… It didn't helped.

Standing there, Luigi thought he heard a ticking noise coming from a distance. Before he could even decipher it, the Daisy Cruiser exploded in a flaming inferno. The crowd gasped and screamed at the horrific sight. Toads ran around, scrambling to find a way to end the madness. Toadsworth tried to calm them down, but he himself was horribly frazzled. The only calm one was Luigi, who just stood there, gazing at the sight, his eyes watering.

The plumber was about ready to swim out to the sight and assist. He would've done it, too, but something else caught his attention. He heard laughter, coming from the other side of the castle grounds. Luigi snuck around, following the sadistic sounds of sinister snickering. He hid behind a tree and watched as a certain jester approached the long-ignored InfiniPipe. In the jester's grip was Princess Daisy, unconscious from the sudden explosion. Dimentio laughed once more as he leaped into the pipe, then there was silence.

Luigi was in shock; he was speechless.

"Interesting, isn't it?"

Luigi turned around in a fright at the sudden voice. Standing next to him was a little girl in a red dress, a blank expression on her face. Luigi instantly recognized her and was ready for a fight.

"Relax," the child said, "I'm not here to finish what I started. Not yet, anyways. I'm here to stop that madman before he can create chaos. Obviously I am slightly late."

She made that last remark while looking at the fire on the seas. A group of Toads had finally managed to subdue it and were now helping the survivors. When Ashley looked back, Luigi was heading for the InfiniPipe.

"Wait!" the witch cried out. She reached out and stopped Luigi, who was still insisting on going forward. Ashley finally managed to push him back, holding him in place with a magic spell.

"Look, I know you want to stop him as well, but with that entity inside you, he can easily manipulate you."

The plumber was about to ask how the girl knew about Mr. L, but she interrupted him before he could finish the question.

"I've done my research," she answered. "And I know how to get rid of him. _Forever."_


	25. Chapter 25

The mansion was dark; a single candle providing the only source of light. On the floor was a circle drawn with chalk, a strange symbol in its center. It had begun to rain heavily in the Mushroom Kingdom, almost as if a 3rd person omniscient narrator was purposefully adding ambiance… Right. The thunder cackled across the sky as the storm leaked out from its origin above the house.

Luigi's mansion had never been creepier.

Ashley instructed the plumber to lay on the circle. He did as he was told, eager to be rid of the demon within him. Ashley pulled out her spell book and skimmed through a few pages. She finally found the desired section and read it quietly.

Before anything could be done, a knock was heard at the door. Ashley groaned before answering it. It was Red, a big grin on his face. "Hiya, Ashley! What're you doing?" he asked with adorable innocence. The little girl lifted an eyebrow as she stared blankly at the creature. Before Red could say anything else, he found himself tied up on the couch.

"Ashley, what's the idea?!" the demon demanded.

"Simple, really," Ashley answered; "You're not Red."

"What're you talking about?! Of course I'm-"

At that moment, Ashley's wand began shaking. It leaped out of her hands and into the air, where it seemed to have exploded in a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, another red demon was floating in the air, a smug grin on his face. "Really? Because I'm not that short," he taunted.

"Yes, you are," Ashley replied lamely.

The fake Red looked around nervously. He finally hung his head in shame and reverted back to Mimi. She didn't try to break free from the ropes anymore. She just sat there in silence. Ashley grabbed her by the collar and stared her down. "How did your master find out about this?" she interrogated.

"He doesn't know, I swear! I came here on my own," Mimi pleaded.

"Likely story."

"I'm telling the truth! I came here for help, but I didn't think you'd trust me, so I disguised myself as your pet."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Red interrupted; "I am NOT her pet! I like to think of us as equals."

Ashley merely rolled her eyes at the demon's plucky attitude. She then returned her attention to the changeling on the couch. "You have five seconds. Go," the child stated. Mimi struggled to find the right words for her situation. She finally swallowed and started speaking.

"TheCrownOrbisatfullpowerandDimentioplansonunleash inghisplantonight!" she screamed at a fast pace. Ashley, Red, and Luigi all tilted their heads to the side in confusion. Mimi groaned in frustration. "The Crown Orb's at full power and Dimentio plans on unleashing his plan tonight," she said slower this time. The others finally understood and gasped in unison. Ashley looked around at everyone and their scared faces. She had to calm them down.

"Why are you telling us this?" the witch asked the captive. Mimi avoided eye contact. "I'm not strong enough to stop him, not even close. But you guys are. You have to stop him!" she explained. Ashley lifted her eyebrow again. She thought for a moment, then untied the woman.

"We have no time to lose then," the child said; "But even with our combined talents, we are not enough."

"Oh! That reminds me!" Mimi shrieked. She then got off the couch and ran out the door. She returned a moment later dragging something behind her. Luigi lifted his head up to see what she had brought in. The moment he saw it, his eyes widened. Mimi had just dragged in a man in red, who was peacefully snoring away.

Luigi instantly got up to check on his brother. He remembered having attacked Mario the day before, and thinking he was dead. Needless to say, the green plumber was more than ecstatic to find his sibling alive. Luigi asked Mimi how this could be. The changeling looked away for a moment.

"You see, Mr. L never really attacked Mario," she explained. Mimi then transformed into a short mustachioed man wearing a red cap and shirt and blue overalls. Once her point was made, she reverted back to normal. "I went to the ball without Dimentio noticing to save Mario. Of course, I had to knock him out and hide him in a closet, but that's not the point."

Luigi stood up and looked at Mimi. The next instant, he was hugging her and showering her in thanks. The woman felt very awkward as she patted the man's back. "Y-you're welcome, I guess," she managed to say.

Ashley told Luigi to return to his spot on the chalk circle, as there was no time to lose. He did so without hesitation. Mimi thanked them all again and headed out the door, hoping to get back to the green dimension before Dimentio knew she was gone. She assured the group, however, that she would stall the ceremony as much as she could.

"Red, if you don't mind," Ashley asked.

"Oh, right!" the assistant replied. He then turned back into the wand and landed gently in Ashley's hand. She then looked at the spell in her book. "Alright," the witch started as she pulled out her wand, "we only have one chance to do this. It is a highly sensitive spell. If something goes wrong…"

She hesitated. Luigi lifted his head and urged her to continue. The little girl avoided eye contact as she sighed, almost sounding unsure. "If something goes wrong," she continued, "then Mr. L will be saved and you will be gone forever."

Luigi swallowed hard. The thought of being gone forever would frighten any living being. A high risk chance, no doubt. One Luigi was willing to take. He nodded his head, indicating that he was ready to continue. Ashley nodded back and eyed the spell once more. She raised the wand into the air; the orb at its top started to glow. Ashley began chanting in another language, her eyes beginning to shine the same light as her wand. The thunder boomed outside as the lightning beat it to the ground. Luigi's body tensed. This was it; it was now or never.

Ashley pointed the wand at the plumber as she reached the end of her chant. "Efil on evah uoy neht, siht derehpiced evah uoy FI!"

Luigi's body contortioned unnaturally. His life began to flash before his eyes. The feeling of such an experience is indescribable. Soon the plumber floated into the air. His entire body began to glow in a yellow light. Ashley shielded herself behind the couch-dragging the still sleeping Mario with her-as the man exploded in a great sight. Smoke filled the room. The witch slowly peaked out of her hiding spot. She couldn't see the man.

"Luigi?" she called out.

The smoke began to clear. Ashley could make out the silhouette of a man, standing rather calmly. Ashley strained to look closer. Her eyes widened as she realized the man was wearing a black jumpsuit.


	26. Chapter 26

The Crown Orb rested on a large mantle in the center of the dimension. Candles lined up parallel to each other down two rows; they seemed to go on forever. Two figures stood over the orb, watching as it glowed with great power. One of the two reached out to touch the sphere, but had to pull back due to being shocked by a stray bolt of magic. The Crown Orb was overflowing with power. The first person smiled.

"It has begun," the jester said through the darkest grin he had ever worn.

Dimentio was about to start the ritual when he saw a flash of light in the corner. The light materialized into Mr. L, who was clearly not in a good mood. With him was Ashley, her arms tied behind her back. The Green Thunder jabbed the little girl with the blunt end of his switchblade, signaling for her to move. She hesitated, but had no other choice but to walk in the direction of the man's vicious master. Dimentio laughed at the sight, clapping his hands. Mimi's right eye twitched slightly as she realized how grave the situation was.

Mr. L forced Ashley onto her knees. She grunted in annoyance and looked up at Dimentio in anger. He merely gave her a pat on the head as a response. "Why the sour face?" he asked; "You get a front row seat to my plan's completion, centuries in the making."

"I won't let you get away with this!" Ashley yelled. Dimentio scoffed, then slapped her across the face. "Now, now, dear child. You mustn't overexcite yourself," he belittled with a sneer. The jester's attention was taken away as he heard a sudden ringing sound. He looked at the Crown Orb, which was glowing with white light. Dimentio knew exactly what this meant. Full power.

The maniac turned to Mimi. "Keep an eye on the brat," he ordered while approaching the Crown Orb. The changeling nodded and took Ashley out of Mr. L's care. The two females stood in a corner, keeping an eye on the proceedings. "Where's Mario?" Mimi asked in a whisper. Ashley did not answer, but rather looked away. "He can't help us now," she replied solemnly. Mimi did not question any further. There was no hope.

"Now then," Dimentio started, "like a bear trap at a polka convention, there's no stopping me now. The pieces have fallen together. Let the ceremony begin!"

The mastermind snapped his fingers, opening a trap door on the floor. From it rose two figures, one a giant, the other much smaller. It wasn't until the beings were fully in view that Ashley recognized them as Waluigi and the Demon Cat. "But how?" she asked out loud.

"What, these two?" Dimentio answered. "They just dropped in one day. A sure sign that my plan needed to start up again, wouldn't you agree? The man here kept trying to escape, but like a dog on a leash, he didn't get very far. His last wish was that I send a rose to some princess or another. Touching, isn't it?"

Waluigi and the beast were shackled at the wrists, unable to move. The Demon Cat was getting very furious, trying to force its arms to freedom. At last it broke through its cuffs and howled in anger. It looked at Dimentio with a fiery hatred as it lunged for him, running on all fours. The jester did not even flinch, but rather held out his left hand, which was glowing purple. The Demon Cat was getting closer, closer. Right as it was about to pounce on the villain, Dimentio punched the creature on the nose, smashing it to the ground. All in attendance watched in horror at the man's sudden surge in power.

"If the diversions are done now, let us continue," Dimentio said. He summoned forth the Dark Prognosticus, turning to a very specific page. The jester chanted a spell and, right before everyone's eyes, the Demon Cat began glowing. It cried out in fear, a cry I hope you never hear in your life. Soon its entire body was glowing. Dimentio held his hand out, smiling at the next step. He clenched his hand into a fist, and the Demon Cat exploded into energy. The Crown Orb absorbed all the light, making its own vastly stronger. The silence pierced the air immediately afterwards.

Waluigi gulped as the jester turned his attention to him. Dimentio chuckled at the man's fear. "Relax, I cannot use you as a sacrifice. That creature was made of pure magic, and you… Well, the only thing magical about you is the fact that you're still alive."

Waluigi sighed in relief as Dimentio turned his attention elsewhere. He floated back to the Crown Orb and raised his hands into the air. "Now for the host!" he shouted. The jester clapped his hands twice, opening another trap door. This time, a giant bubble floated out. What was inside the bubble, though, was the important part. There, begging for freedom, was none other than the heir to the Sarasaland throne, Princess Daisy.

"Help! Get me out of here!" the princess cried, prompting Dimentio to laugh.

"As you wish, my dear. Mr. L, would you please escort her majesty to the operation table?" the jester said. Mr. L nodded and approached the spherical prison. Dimentio snapped his fingers, breaking the bubble. Daisy fell into the Green Thunder's arms. She looked at him for mercy, but he didn't show any sign of interest. Instead, the man marched the princess towards the table right in front of his boss. "Yes, that's it," Dimentio hissed as they got closer.

"Please, don't do this!" Daisy begged, but it was all to no avail. Mr. L picked her up and sat her on the table. The pieces were set; soon Dimentio's meticulous planning would finally pay off. Daisy looked at Mr. L in a combination of fear and confusion. Why was he doing this? The Green Thunder kept his head down as he began to back away. Something was different about him. Daisy didn't know what, but something didn't seem right. Then Mr. L lifted his head, and she knew immediately.

His eyes were blue.

"Now!" Ashley cried out as the ropes around her hands magically vanished. She lifted her wand and pointed it at Dimentio. "What the-?" was all he had time to say before he was hit with a magic blast, knocking him to the ground. Luigi lifted Daisy off the table and rushed her away as Ashley grabbed the Crown Orb off its pedestal. "Wait! Help me!" Waluigi cried out as Ashley ran by him. The little witch rolled her eyes, but did blast the chains off of the man's wrists. Waluigi laughed with delight at his newfound freedom. He rushed to join everyone at the other side of the dimension.

"Luigi, you saved me!" Daisy cheered as she gave her hero a hug. The plumber blushed heavily. Ashley shook her head in disgust. She was still a little girl, after all.

"Thank you, so much!" Daisy continued. "I know I've been a bad friend lately, and I'd like to make up for it."

Luigi smiled at this.

"But I'd rather be with Mr. L."

Before Luigi could react, Daisy kneed him in the stomach with great force, sending him to the floor. Ashley was about to react when that familiar laughter started up in the distance. Soon Dimentio was right in front of the group, Mimi close by. "The plan worked like a charm," he chuckled.

"It sure did, boss," Daisy replied with a sneer. The princess then grabbed Ashley and took the Crown Orb, handing it back to Dimentio. Ashley tried to use her magic to break free, but Daisy's grip was just too strong.

"What's going on? What did you do to her?" the witch demanded.

"Oh, it's a bitter tale, but I suppose you'd like to hear it," Dimentio started. He then snapped his fingers, summoning a fireplace and a big, comfy chair for him to sit in. "You see, I saw the instant Mr. L reverted back to Luigi through my crystal ball. You were silly to think you could fool me. Which reminds me…"

The jester grabbed Mimi by the throat and slammed her to the ground. He then kicked her to the group, laughing hysterically. "I don't appreciate traitors here, Mimikins. Once things really get started, I'll deal with you first," he warned with a glare.

"Anyways," Dimentio continued, "I also saw this princess' reaction to the whole thing. Truly heartbreaking. I saw this as an opportunity. Right before she was set to leave for Sarasaland, I visited her in her room, offering her the chance to get her man back. Needless to say, she was more than willing. So, with a sprinkle of magic here and a dash of hypnotism there, I bring you my new assistant. But, oh, like a convoluted simile, her wardrobe simply doesn't make any sense. Let me fix that."

He waved his hands around. Daisy was lifted into the air. She began spinning as a light consumed her. After a moment or two, she floated back to the ground. The lights faded away, revealing the princess to be in an outfit similar to Mr. L's, except with an orange scarf, longer gloves, and boots instead of shoes. Her eyes were the same tone of grey.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you my latest creation, Ms. D!"

The woman grinned ominously as she grabbed Ashley again. Dimentio laughed at Luigi's shocked reaction. "What's the matter, old friend? Too stunned for words?" the villain teased; "You see, this whole thing was a setup. I only created that commotion with the boat to grab your attention. Now that you're here, I can make sure you do nothing to stop me!"

"Wait," Ashley interrupted. "If Princess Daisy wasn't the host, then-"

"Who is? Well, with a little help from Ms. D, I was able to secure a perfect specimen. And here she is."

Dimentio summoned another bubble, but inside this one was none other than Princess Peach! She, too, began begging for freedom, and Dimentio once again cackled at the pleas.

"Now then," the jester said. He then blasted the group, excluding Ms. D, forcing them onto the ground. They were powerless, unable to even move. They could only watch as Dimentio read from the Dark Prognosticus his devilish chant. The Crown Orb began shaking in his hands. It fired a massive bolt of lightning into the air, draining the sphere of its white light. They all heard thunder from who knows where. Princess Peach screamed in agonizing fear as the bubble was struck by lightning, filling it with blinding lights. Everyone, including Dimentio, had to look away from the sheer brightness. Soon the bubble exploded, filling the room with purple smoke. Dimentio looked at the sight, unable to tell if the spell worked.

"Finally, I have returned," a voice said from behind the smoke. Dimentio smiled wickedly as a silhouette began taking shape. The woman stepped out of the smoke. Everyone stared in shock at what they saw. Dimentio bowed as the woman finally stood before him.

"Welcome back, my Shadow Queen."


	27. Chapter 27

Dimentio looked at the Crown Orb. It had transformed into a ball of stone, no longer containing any traces of magic left. The jester shrugged and tossed it aside. He refocused his attention on the woman he brought back from the grave.

The Shadow Queen looked down at the group of people on the ground. Oh, how it amused her to see the innocent in pain. But why exactly were they suffering? Oh, it didn't matter. It was too much of an enjoyable sight.

"Oh, it's good to be back," the woman said as she stretched her arms. She then held out her hand to Dimentio, who took it and gave it a small kiss. "It is good to have you back, your majesty," he replied. The group on the ground could only stare in confusion. Ashley wriggled around, trying to break free of the jester's magical grip. She somehow managed to lift her upper body. The Shadow Queen noticed this and kneeled down to the witch.

"What have we here?" the ruler asked. Ashley stared the queen in her eyes. It was like looking Death directly in the face, and knowing you were helpless to stop it. The Shadow Queen smiled in a comforting manner, then slammed Ashley's head back to the ground. Dimentio laughed at this. Ashley coughed in pain, prompting the Shadow Queen to chuckle herself.

"Now that I have returned," she said, "I can finally reshape this world to my image."

"And I have the perfect place to start," Dimentio added. He pulled out his crystal ball, revealing an image of the Mushroom Kingdom. This made the Shadow Queen smile. "Ah, it's beautiful, but it needs a few… touches," she said as she grabbed the crystal ball; "Now we can finally fulfill our destiny!"

"Don't make me laugh," Ashley said from the ground, not looking up. The two villains turned to her. Ms. D was ready to hit the child to make her silence, but Dimentio stopped her, claiming he wanted to hear more. Ashley looked up with the little strength she had left. "You two talk a big game, but in the end, you're nothing but cowards," the witch continued; "You two know nothing of destiny."

"I beg to differ," the Shadow Queen responded.

"What do you know about destiny," Ashley spat back. The Shadow Queen shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well, I _should_ know a lot. After all, I did write the book on it."

Ashley's eyes widened. Dimentio chuckled as he held up the Dark Prognosticus. "And what a good read it is, my queen," he complimented in between bouts of laughter.

"What?" Ashley asked softly due to sheer shock.

"Perhaps you should explain to the child," the Shadow Queen suggested to Dimentio, who nodded before kneeling down by the witch.

"It isn't a long story, only spanning a few centuries. You see, there was once a time where shadows ruled the land, as far as the eye can see. The lovely woman who stands before you is the one who ruled the shadows. Like a spilled glass of milk, her influence spread far and wide. But she knew there were those who would seek to end her rule. Personally, I can't imagine why someone would want to end such fun. Seeing as the people were getting horribly unruly, the ruler wrote a manual on how to someday revive her perfect world. That's the book you see today. Now all she had to do was keep it safe. So she entrusted the book to her most trusted subject, the man who entertained her on a daily basis by torturing helpless victims. Her courtroom jester, if you will."

Ashley soaked in all the information she was just given. It all made sense now.

"I can see that I made the right choice," the Shadow Queen added. Dimentio bowed once more. The two turned to leave, ready to fulfill their destiny. Ashley could do nothing but watch them get away. How she wanted to break free of Dimentio's spell and attack them head-on. Feeling a surge in power, the child lifted her arm and reached for her wand. She glared at the Shadow Queen as she walked farther and farther away. Ashley fired a red bolt at her adversary. It traveled at intense speeds faster than the eye could see. For a moment, it looked as if it would strike the woman down. Then in an instant, the Shadow Queen turned around and caught the blast in her right hand. She grinned wickedly upon seeing the witch's reaction.

"Amateur at best," the villainess hissed. She threw the bolt back. It hit Ashley with full force. The little girl cringed in pain as the attack surged through her. She finally fell limp, too weak to even look up. The Shadow Queen chuckled at this.

Dimentio clapped his hands twice. "Ms. D, come," he ordered. The woman nodded and rushed to her boss. The three villains looked at everyone on the floor. How pathetic.

"Well, it's been fun, but we gotta run," the jester said. "But just so you don't think we're abandoning you, here's a new playmate."

With that, the three disappeared. As if on cue, a massive Chain Chomp appeared in their place. It seemed quite angry as it charged for the helpless bunch. Ashley looked around. Mimi and Waluigi looked away in fear. Luigi just laid there, not reacting to anything that had occurred. Ashley once again tried to lift up her wand with what little strength she had left, but it was no use. The Chain Chomp rushed at crazy speed. Was it even possible for one of these things to go so fast?

Ashley panted as she attempted to aim her wand. It was suddenly so heavy. The Chain Chomp snarled in anger. It was mere inches away from the little girl. Ashley could see inside the creature's mouth, but she couldn't stop it.

Now comes the deus ex machina. The Chomp was about to eat the small girl, but something fell from the sky and crashed right into the beast. The Chomp rolled away, now unconscious. The group looked up at the sky, noticing a warp pipe. They then looked at the figure who had just saved them. He was wearing red.

"I thought we agreed to _five_ minutes," Ashley scolded in deadpan. Mario scratched his head in embarrassment.


	28. Chapter 28

"There it is, your Majesty. The Mushroom Kingdom."

"This is it? It looked better in the crystal ball."

"Shall we begin then?"

"Let's."

The Shadow Queen pointed her bony hand delicately at the kingdom. The land's sleeping residents would be blissfully unaware of what was happening. The queen's influence began to spread. The once bright colors of Toad Town became grey and displeasing. The flowers on the ground wilted in a matter of seconds. Any innocent passersby was halted dead in their tracks as decaying hands sprouted from the ground and grabbed them. The hands continued to spread the influence, turning their victims into withering, hollow shells of there former selves.

Home sweet home.

The royal woman honored the floor underneath her by taking step after step. Soon nearly half of Toad Town was but a mere shadow of what it was but a few minutes ago. The Shadow Queen laughed, but stopped short as three police officers confronted her. "Freeze!" they shouted. The woman stood there stunned, but surprisingly complied, a sly grin on her face. You see, the law enforcers were so busy detaining the Shadow Queen, they hadn't noticed Dimentio teleporting right behind them. The jester grabbed an officer's head and began draining it of all its energy. He let go, and the policeman fell over, no longer moving. The other two men stood frozen in fear. One tried to run away, but was slammed to the ground when Ms. D jumped off a store rooftop and landed right on top of him.

The last officer began shaking. The Shadow Queen saw this and smiled. She slowly approached the man and gently placed a hand on his cheek. He looked into her eyes. They were almost comforting, as if everything was going to be alright. The Shadow Queen smiled wider, baring her teeth as her expression became more twisted. She then forced her fist into his stomach, piercing through the other side. The policeman's eyes widened, then he went limp. The Shadow Queen chuckled as she dropped the body to the floor.

"As fun as this is, I do hope there are no more distractions," she said while Dimentio magically cleaned her glove. "I've been gone for a while now, and I simply don't have time for this."

"Not to worry, my queen. The castle is but a walking distance away," her follower suggested. The queen looked in the direction of the palace, staring at the stained-glass picture of its former ruler. "That will be the first thing to go," she noted to herself.

The three villains began to move forward again, leaving their mark as they travelled. Soon they had reached the front doors of Toadstool Castle. They were about to enter when Ms. D stopped in her tracks, having apparently heard something. She turned around and saw a few figures exiting a giant warp pipe in the distance. "Sir, you might want to see this," she said to her boss. Dimentio turned and also viewed the group. Though his mask showed no emotion, it wasn't hard to tell he wasn't pleased. "Handle this," he ordered; "Make it quick."

With that, Dimentio and the Shadow Queen entered the palace, leaving Ms. D all by herself.

Luigi, Mario, and their group of rogues surveyed the area. It was truly a gruesome sight. "I didn't think I was gone THAT long," Waluigi noted.

"This is the handiwork of the Shadow Queen, no doubt," Ashley replied. The child was truly appalled at the sight. All the death and decay, a true representation of the evil queen's dark, selfish personality. The Marios were disturbed as well. Their once beautiful home, now nothing more than that demon's trash can. It needed to be stopped, and fast.

The group approached the castle cautiously. All was quiet… No, that's it; it was just quiet. Luigi, now wearing his own clothes, began shaking nervously. He was scared, but he knew this had to be done. For Daisy. The awkward plumber walked a little farther until he stepped on a large branch, making it snap under his weight.

That's all it took. Ms. D rushed out of the shadows and confronted her opponents. She kicked Mario to the ground and smacked Waluigi into a nearby tree. The woman then jumped into the tree and stood there, watching her prey with a smirk.

"You shouldn't have come here! Boss has a lotta things to do tonight!" she spoke.

"Princess Daisy, you must stop this," Ashley called out.

"Sorry, kid, but Daisy ain't here no more. Just D, myself, and I! Ha!"

"Princess, you must fight this! Don't let him control you."

"Yap, yap, yap. Do you ever stop talking?"

Luigi was utterly lost. The woman sounded like Daisy, but he knew she wasn't. Not even close. Ashley, on the other hand, could see perfectly clear that she was getting nowhere. "Why are you helping Dimentio? What's in it for you?" the witch asked. Ms. D laughed before giving her answer. "The boss promised to get Mr. L back, and I'd do anything to save him," she responded.

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "He can't do that. I got rid of Mr. L. Permanently," she said.

"You're lying!" Ms. D snarled defensively.

"No, she's right," Mimi added. "Mr. L is gone."

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

Ashley held her hand out. "Princess, we can help you. Just come down and-"

"NOOO!" Ms. D shrieked. She jumped out of the tree and landed right in front of Ashley. She picked the child up by the collar, threatening to knock out all her pretty little teeth. Ashley was not fazed, but rather pointed her wand at the woman and fired a magic bolt. Ms. D was sent flying across the field, but she managed to stop herself. She ran back to the group, now targeting Mario. "The man in red is mine!" she cried as she punched the plumber in the stomach. Mario yelped in pain, then fell over.

"Not so tough now, huh?" Ms. D taunted. It was then that Waluigi grabbed her from behind. Annoyed, the woman somehow jumped into the air, taking her attacker with her. As they were landing, Ms. D positioned Waluigi underneath herself, causing him to take the full force of the crash onto the ground. The henchwoman stood up, dusting off her gloved hands. Her attention turned towards Mimi, who was throwing rubees at her. The criminal clumsily dodged every projectile, almost falling over several times. Mimi stopped a moment to catch her breath, but a moment was far too long. Ms. D ran up to the changeling and kicked her across the face, knocking her out.

"Enough," Ashley called out. The witch had her wand pointed directly at Ms. D's back. The servant scoffed with a smug grin. She slowly turned to face the child. "Tell you what, kid, if you hit me even once, I'll let you get in," she gloated. Ashley narrowed her eyes in annoyance. She fired multiple shots, but Ms. D dodged them all. The woman was approaching fast; Ashley had little time left. She aimed and fired once more. Another miss. The servant was just too quick on her feet. The witch attempted to fire one last shot, but it was too late. Ms. D caught her and lifted her to eye level. "Nice try," the criminal said before throwing the girl far, far away. Now all was left was that guy in green.

Luigi stood there nervously as Ms. D came closer and closer. The plumber swallowed hard as his limbs refused to stop shaking. The woman finally approached him, a devilish smile spread across her face. "If your friends couldn't stop me, what makes you think you can?" she asked tauntingly. Luigi did not respond, but just stood there silently. He reluctantly summoned a green fireball.

"Ooh, scary," Ms. D teased before laughing. She began taking a step closer, but Luigi did the same much quicker. The woman stepped back slightly, almost appearing intimidated. Almost. She smiled once more. "Go ahead. I _dare_ you," she said. Luigi gulped once more. The fireball shook in his hand. He took a deep breath and began to throw.

"Luigi, no!" the woman shrieked. The plumber stopped himself short. That voice. For a moment, it sound genuinely like Daisy. Luigi stood there confused, looking at the cowering Ms. D. He got rid of the fireball and approached the lady. He tried putting his hand on her back in a comforting manner. The woman looked at him, then smiled wickedly. "Fooled you," she said before grabbing Luigi by the throat. Ms. D lifted the man into the air. "This one's for Mr. L," the criminal stated as she formed a fist in her other hand. Luigi shut his eyes, unable to withstand this sight.

Ms. D smiled wider. Her fist began to move, obviously at a fast pace, when she was suddenly blasted from the back by a red energy. The woman screamed in pain, causing her to drop Luigi, who was rather confused. Once the beam stopped, Ms. D fell to the ground. Luigi then saw Ashley standing there, her wand smoking from the attack. "Deal's a deal," she said in a harsh tone.

Luigi cautiously approached Ms. D. The woman slowly opened and closed her eyes. She looked at Luigi and seemed surprised. She gave a weak smile as she held her hand out. "Mr. L? Y-you're back," she said hoarsely, hope still ringing in her voice. "You're back. D-don't ever…go…again. Please?"

With that, she finally passed out. Luigi just stood there a moment, looking at the female, before finally picking her up. Everyone else slowly began getting up themselves. They looked at Toadstool Castle, which had transformed into a massive palace of pure evil. Ashley glared at the abomination.

"No more games," she said. "This ends tonight."


End file.
